Aaron Motsoaledi slams critics of NHI

CAPE TOWN - Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says critics of government’s National Health Insurance (NHI) who believe the scheme won’t see the light of day must think again.

Delivering his budget vote in Parliament on Tuesday evening, Motsoaledi says while there are those who are justifiably impatient for the bill to be implemented, there are also those who, for reasons of greed, don’t want it to come into being.

Motsoaledi says he’s ready to place the NHI Bill before Cabinet for approval and subsequent public comment but has held off on the request of President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is currently out of the country.

“The president said he has taken a special, personal interest in NHI and hence he instructed us to put the bill in abeyance.”

(Edited by Zamangwane Shange)