News Desk | NHI
Legal setback for NHI: South African Government seeks more time to respond in court challenge
Time to read: 01:36 minutes
Time to listen: 02:49 minutes
Type of article: News
MedED Catalogue Reference: MNHI0017
Category: News
Category Cross-reference: NHI | Health Policy
Keywords: NHI
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7 October 2024 13:30
The South African government has missed a deadline in its court battle regarding the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act and is seeking an extension until the end of November. Trade union Solidarity has indicated that it will continue to argue against the NHI if the government does not present opposing documents, which it failed to provide after four months. Solidarity initially filed its papers in May at the Gauteng North High Court and has requested the case to proceed unchallenged due to the government's inaction.
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Although President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the NHI into law before the latest national election, it has not yet been implemented. The NHI aims to establish a centralized national insurance fund that will enable eligible South African residents to access healthcare services from both public and private providers without direct payment, funded by the government.
Ramaphosa has stated that the NHI seeks to unify the country’s fragmented healthcare systems, addressing the disparity where the private sector serves only a small fraction of the population, while the public sector is overburdened and underfunded.
In response to the missed 2 October deadline for submitting opposing affidavits, the Department of Health confirmed that its lawyers are in discussions with the Deputy Judge President’s office to secure an extension until 27 November.
The department acknowledged the delay, citing the complexity of the application as the reason for needing more time. It also expressed its intention to contest any unopposed progression of the case. Additionally, the government has requested an extension to file opposing papers in a separate application by the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF), having missed the 16 October deadline.
The NHI continues to make waves in the business world. Fitch Ratings notes that if the NHI Act is implemented in its current form, it could pose risks to expenditure forecasts, potentially driving government debt higher. Government debt is projected to reach 76% of GDP in FY24 and continue to rise in subsequent years.
This article was compiled from various sources, including:
4 October 2024 | BusTech | NHI Court battle heats up in South Africa
4 October 2024 | News24 | Government wants more time to file affidavits defending NHI
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