POLITICS

NHI will lead SA's health to take a turn for worse - Solidarity

Union to launch countrywide campaign to obtain input which will point out negative consequences

Disastrous NHI will lead South Africans’ health to take a turn for the worse - Solidarity  

2 June 2018

The trade union Solidarity said today that it condemns the nationalisation of health care by means of the proposed National Health Insurance in the strongest of terms and that it will oppose this damaging ideologically-motivated policy vehemently.

The trade union further stated that it will launch a countrywide campaign to obtain input which will point out the negative consequences of this legislature for all citizens.

Morné Malan, a researcher at the Solidarity Research Institute stated that it is astonishing to watch how the ANC always succeeds in adopting the weakest possible policy, which historically failed in countries like Venezuela and Cuba, while policy in the foremost economies of the world are regarded as egregious by the ruling party.

According to Malan, the trade union condemns the government’s proposal to impose the NHI on all South Africans. "The proposal, if not explicitly, is definitely a de facto the nationalisation of health care in South Africa and Solidarity strongly doubts the government’s motivation," Malan said.

"This is evidently not an effort to improve the quality of health care in South Africa, but rather creating equality by handicapping the excellent private health sector instead of rectifying the shortcomings of the public health sector. The problem is quite clearly not that the state fails to provide good service, but rather that the private health sector succeeds in doing so," Malan further said.

In conclusion, Malan argued that an utterance by President Ramaphosa that the NHI will be implemented whether people like it or not, is quite alarming and shows him to be a leader who weighs ideological considerations more heavily than the well-being or wishes of his citizens.

Solidarity herewith announces that the trade union will establish a professional association for health care practitioners to protect them from the actions of the government, as well as be the watchdog for health care professions in South Africa.    

Solidarity has put together a website with comprehensive information for the public on the nationalisation of health care in South Africa.

Issued by Morné Malan, Researcher: Solidarity Research Institute, 2 June 2018