The high court in Pretoria has dismissed the health minister’s defence of the government’s controversial plans for controlling where doctors work, affirming a previous ruling that the National Health Act’s certificate of need provisions are unconstitutional and should be struck down.

The development is significant because the certificate of need is an important aspect of the government’s plans for National Health Insurance (NHI). The health department wants to use these measures to manage where private healthcare facilities and healthcare professionals provide their services, a proposal that has been fiercely opposed by the private healthcare sector...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.