Deadline for submissions on NHI Bill looms

Cape Town - The public has been given until the end of the month to make submissions on National Health Insurance.

This is despite 100 000 submissions already made on the NHI Bill.

The public hearings on the NHI were held in Kimberley and De Aar at the weekend following the other set of public hearings in Mpumalanga.

The opposition has been calling for more public hearings as the Bill was critical and will change the health industry in the country.

The government has not given details of the NHI, but the National Treasury said the projected figures were now higher than initially thought in 2011.

Chairperson of the health committee, Sibongiseni Dhlomo, said they would deal with the submissions when they finish with the public hearings across the country.

Dhlomo said the views of the people, during the public hearings, were critical in discussing NHI.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said NHI would enable the poor to access quality healthcare.

Ramaphosa and Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said universal health coverage was implemented across the world and South Africa should not lag behind.

The government planned a 15-year period for the roll-out of NHI. It had been projected that the government would need more than R250 billion to roll it out .

It has already spent billions on the NHI pilot sites in different pro-vinces.

Political Bureau