Political parties still divided on NHI despite Motsoaledi clarifying its current status

CAPE TOWN - Political parties remain divided over the implementation of the National Health Insurance despite Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on Wednesday moving to set the record straight on its current status.

While it appeared last week that the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the African National Congress(ANC) may have reached some consensus on the role of private medical aids, Motsoaledi hit back at the party’s MPs during Wednesday’s debate on the State of the Nation Address.

ActionSA on Wednesday also voiced its disapproval that the fund would be under the minister’s control.

Motsoaledi said that the DA were under the false impression that there would be changes to how the health insurance was implemented under the Medium-Term Development Plan.

"The belief that countries implement NHI because they are rich, they’ve got a big tax base, is not true. NHI is now here. It is here to stay," Motsoaledi said.

But another medical doctor, ActionSA's Dr Kgosi Letlape, said that he did not agree with the structure of the NHI.

"NHI is another medical aid. The medical aid is under the authority of the minister, let him change that. Our problem is not money."

Sweeping the debate for the DA, its deputy chief whip, Bax Nodada, said his party’s concern was failing public healthcare facilities.

"The thing that gives us stomach aches is your intentions to confiscate the medical aids to which millions of South Africans have contributed to all their lives."

President Cyril Ramaphosa will respond to the debate on Thursday afternoon.