BL Premium reports that the minister of health Aaron Motsoaledi has hauled the Hospital Association of SA (Hasa) over the coals, accusing it of using fear-mongering to fight the implementation of National Health Insurance (NHI).
This came after the association warned last week that thousands of jobs were at stake due to contradictions in the NHI and Medical Schemes Amendment Bills. "Now they are saying 'if you implement the NHI, you are going to lose jobs'. So this is targeted at the trade union movement to start fighting us," Motsoaledi commented on Thursday after President Cyril Ramaphosa's state of the nation address. Hasa's argument was based on research it commissioned from Econex, whose findings were based on two scenarios that would have an effect on SA's economy. The first scenario suggested that the government would not approach private hospitals to purchase services, which would result in the loss of 99,600 jobs in the private sector. The second scenario found that capping prices at 23% as per regulation would result in 132,000 job losses. In his Sona address, Ramaphosa said the NHI Bill would soon be ready for submission to parliament. Motsoaledi has previously said that NHI would be implemented in 2030.
- Read Penelope Mashego’s report on this story in full at BL Premium (paywall access only)
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