EXCLUSIVE: NHI pilot projects fail to reach targets
The public health system is in crisis, and its flagship programme does not offer a better deal for patients
Hospitals and clinics in the government’s flagship National Health Insurance (NHI) pilot programme are failing to improve any faster than those in the rest of the country, according to inspection records obtained from the Office of Health Standards Compliance. The records reveal a public health system in crisis. Among the 1,427 facilities inspected in the four years to March, just 89 of them scored a pass mark of 70% or more. Facilities fell short on matters ranging from the availability of medicines to infection control. Improving the quality of the public health system is a vital part of the government’s preparation for NHI, and the data raise tough questions for the government about why its investments in its 11 NHI pilot districts are failing to translate into a better deal for patients. The Treasury initially allocated R1bn for the pilot programme, but then slashed funding in the face of slow spending by the provinces. The latest figures from the Department of Health, which ove...
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