
#NHIPublicHearings: Vhembe residents weigh in on the bill
Limpopo residents raise burning issues as the National Health Insurance public hearings kick off in the province.

Limpopo residents raise burning issues as the National Health Insurance public hearings kick off in the province.

While many showed fervent support for the proposed legislation, the parliamentary committee was also was met with scepticism over the funding of the National Health Insurance (NHI).

The province’s health system has been reported to be one of the worst in the country and residents live in hope that it will change with the National Health Insurance.

Gauteng, the last province to host National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill public hearings, is NHI ready, according to the Gauteng Health MEC who sat down with us in an exclusive interview. But how do residents feel about the NHI Bill’s progress?

The continuous inadequate delivery of health services is a cause of concern for many residents as polarising views on the NHI surface.

Like other public hearings, residents want their facilities to be fixed before the implementation of the NHI Bill.

While the majority of Gauteng residents want the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill to be implemented as soon as possible, they also want the government to not shy away from the serious healthcare system challenges the province faces.

Much like at the hearings before this one, residents demand the current public healthcare facilities to be fixed first.

The proceedings in Piketberg and Khayelitsha highlighted the cries of farmworkers and people living in townships.

Across the provinces, the hearings reveal that people do in fact know what they want from a functional health system that serves their needs. But we have to ask, have people been adequately educated about the bill?

Although a number of people in Bloemfontein support National Health Insurance Bill, they demand quality healthcare services first.