Nongovernmental organisation the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF) on Wednesday urged government to withdraw the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill, adding that a properly functioning public health service should rather be put in place and suggesting that the private health sector be better regulated, owing to serious problems.

Friday November 29, marked the last day for submissions of public comment on the Bill to Parliament.

The HSF made its submission on the NHI Bill to the National Assembly’s Portfolio Committee on Health on November 28, where it said the Bill cannot be considered a product of a rational process, as a result of grossly inadequate research, planning and analysis; and that it had serious concerns around the operational, administrative and financial aspects of the NHI.

“In addition, the lack of detail provided does not enable the current public consultation process to be legally valid, as it is impossible to comment on far-reaching draft legislation on the basis of too little information,” said the HSF.

Speaking during a media briefing in Johannesburg HSF legal counsellor Anton van Dalsen clarified that the foundation supported the goal of universal health coverage.

“We have no problem with the principle of universal health coverage, but [rather with] the manner in which government is trying to implement it. It is not appropriate and causes serious concern, not only in relation to the health sector,” he said.

The HSF added that its belief that government should put in place a properly functioning public service was informed by concerns it had with the management and accountability of the current system rather than reservations over financial aspects.

Van Dalsen said the private sector needed to be consulted in a substantive manner on the NHI, and warned that a lack of cooperation and commitment by the private sector would effectively ruin the implementation of the entire NHI structure.

“A new system can only succeed with the consent and support of health care service providers and it is naïve of government to imagine otherwise,” he said.

Public hearings into the proposed NHI are underway across the country.

“The committee is of the view that both oral and written submissions received so far will contribute immensely in making the legislative framework which will lead to the achievement of the objectives of the Bill,” the Portfolio Committee on Health said recently.

Last week committee chairperson Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo stated that at the centre of the Bill was ensuring that there was a quality healthcare system that catered for everyone.

Dhlomo added that the quality and amount of written and oral submissions received from people in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces had greatly enhanced the Bill.