WHEN an election is held amid widespread poverty and inequality, it is to be expected that the National Health Insurance (NHI) will be a talking point. On paper it makes sense: as Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi put it, the idea is to make healthcare available to all based on need rather than socioeconomic status.No one can deny that many South Africans live in dire need, and the poorest citizens have the least access to quality healthcare. Add to this the burden of HIV, tuberculosis, and the rising tide of non-communicable diseases — including cancer — and you have a perfect storm brewing.If one factor in a host of broken systems contributing to healthcare — poor transport, education, administration, and drug stock-outs — creates a challenge for a patient, the size of the problem quadruples.Motsoaledi emphasises that 80% of medical specialists in SA service only a fifth of the population. Although SA spends about 10% of its GDP on health — India spends 1% and China 3% — the alloca...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
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.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.