Could it be that the ANC government has finally seen reason and realised the folly of pushing through the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill?
Despite the desperate state of the country’s public health sector, it deigned only the smallest comment from President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday in regards to government’s reckless proclamation of the state of disaster. According to the President, the state of disaster will magically enable government to fast track the exemption of hospitals from loadshedding – an initiative that started off with much enthusiasm and then slowly petered off after a mere 76 of the 213 identified hospitals were exempted last year.
Of his Minister for Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, and his Department’s plans to destroy the country’s health sector by forcing through an unconstitutional and unaffordable health care bill, not a word was said.
The DA can only hope that the ANC has miraculously come to its senses and gave heed to Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s warning that the country cannot afford the NHI, as well as the many serious concerns raised by opposition parties, health stakeholders and the general public.