By Ragheema Mclean

During the 2024 Budget Speech, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced that the health sector is expected to receive an allocation of R848 billion over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, with at least R1 billion directed to the National Health Insurance (NHI).

The allocations include R11.6 billion for the 2023 wage agreement, R27.3 billion for infrastructure, and R1.4 billion for the NHI grant.

Godongwana highlighted the government’s commitment to the NHI, highlighting the importance of system-strengthening activities such as upgrading health facilities and improving quality of care.

Speaking on VOC Breakfast on Thursday, medical expert Dr. Angelique Coetzee expressed skepticism about the government’s ability to address longstanding infrastructure problems in public health care facilities.

She noted that while the government has made promises in the past, there has been little action.

“On paper, it’s really nice words, but if you can recall, the upgrading and the infrastructural problems at public health care facilities are an old and longstanding problem.”

Coetzee also raised concerns about the NHI bill, highlighting the lack of clarity on the services it will provide.

“We only have a bill with an amount; we don’t know what services are going to be provided or what medications are going to be provided.”

Furthermore, she also cautioned against expecting immediate improvements in care if the private sector becomes involved in the NHI, noting that young doctors are already leaving the country to find work abroad.

“Young doctors are already deciding to pack up their things and leave the country to go and find work abroad.”

In his budget speech, Minister Godongwana noted that part of the health sector budget would be directed to building a national health information system and digital patient records.

Coetzee raised concerns regarding the effectiveness of the system, stating, “They have been working on this system for quite some time now; they are saying that 80% of people are already registered on this system, but this is not the case. I don’t know of any patients that I work with who have registered on this system.”

VOC News

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