Focus on fixing Eskom, not an NHI: Economist
Can South Africa afford the National Health Insurance? That's the question being tackled by economists across the country.
Economist Busisiwe Radebe weighed in on the NHI at a Tax Indaba in Sandton, Johannesburg yesterday.
"We absolutely cannot afford an NHI. But even if we just look at the pilot projects out there. The pilot project has showed that it has absolutely failed," said Radebe.
"We don't have the fiscal space to do it."
Radebe believes the country needs to shift its focus.
"We need to fix Eskom, that's the most important thing, before we can even think about NHI."
On healthcare, Radebe feels South Africa has the money to upgrade and establish facilities in communities that still need them.
"We do have money that goes to Health in the budget. I think we should look at those hospitals and see how we can make them more efficient."
Radebe said there are some projects that have been receiving money and funding for years but are yet to get off the ground.
The Health Department says the NHI is a financing system that will ensure all citizens of South Africa, and legal long-term residents, are provided with essential healthcare, regardless of their employment status and ability to make a direct monetary contribution to the NHI Fund.
"Without NHI, the burden of disease in the country will not be reduced because the majority of the population, and the section suffering the greatest ill health, will not access good quality healthcare," says the department on its official website.
"We absolutely cannot afford an NHI. But even if we just look at the pilot projects out there. The pilot project has showed that it has absolutely failed," said Radebe.
"We don't have the fiscal space to do it."
Radebe believes the country needs to shift its focus.
"We need to fix Eskom, that's the most important thing, before we can even think about NHI."
On healthcare, Radebe feels South Africa has the money to upgrade and establish facilities in communities that still need them.
"We do have money that goes to Health in the budget. I think we should look at those hospitals and see how we can make them more efficient."
Radebe said there are some projects that have been receiving money and funding for years but are yet to get off the ground.
The Health Department says the NHI is a financing system that will ensure all citizens of South Africa, and legal long-term residents, are provided with essential healthcare, regardless of their employment status and ability to make a direct monetary contribution to the NHI Fund.
"Without NHI, the burden of disease in the country will not be reduced because the majority of the population, and the section suffering the greatest ill health, will not access good quality healthcare," says the department on its official website.
