SA's healthcare system should be on par with countries in Europe - Motsoaledi

CAPE TOWN - Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said that the rich were "double dipping" in both private and public healthcare, which illustrated the country’s inequalities.

Motsoaledi also said that the country’s healthcare system should be on par with first-world countries in Europe when one looked at the percentage of GDP that went to health.

The minister tabled the department’s budget on Thursday, where he emphasised the need to end inequality in healthcare through the National Health Insurance (NHI).
 
Minister Motsoaledi was the first minister to table his budget in the seventh term, telling MPs that the health system remained unequal.

He said that those with medical aid still benefited from public health when their funds ran out.

"But a poor person who doesn’t have a medical aid, even if the health they need is in the private sector, they cannot go there. So, we the rich, we are double dipping."

Motsoaledi also said that the country spends over eight percent of GDP on health, putting it on par with developed countries.

"On average, European countries are on nine percent. This means our health system was supposed to be as advanced as healthcare systems as countries in Europe because we’re in the same WhatsApp group."

But most opposition parties like the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and MK Party rejected the 2024/25 health budget, which stands at R62.2 billion.