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Breaking News: NHI Remains on Track, Says Health Minister Motsoaledi
Time to read: 01:26
Published: 12 February 2025
After a week of "did-they-didn't-they", Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has dismissed claims that the National Health Insurance (NHI) is being sidelined, stating unequivocally that it remains a core priority for the government.
Speaking in Parliament during his response to the State of the Nation Address (SONA), he also refuted reports suggesting that an agreement had been reached to exclude key aspects of NHI, particularly regarding private medical aids, from the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP), calling such claims “nonsense.”
More on this story:
6 February 2025: Choas Reigns: ANC & DA Reach Agreement to Keep Private Medical Aids in the NHI. Or Have They? Evolving Situation
Motsoaledi dedicated his entire address to clarifying how NHI will be introduced. He strongly backed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s commitment to launching universal health coverage under the current administration.
"Honourable Matthew Cuthbert said that he’s happy NHI is no longer in the Medium-Term Development Plan. Sorry sir, it is there, and it ought to be there, and it’s going to continue to be there," Motsoaledi stated, making it clear that the policy remains firmly in place.
While acknowledging financial constraints, the minister emphasised that the rollout will happen in phases, as resources allow. "There’s no other way of implementing NHI, except gradually. There's no other country in the world that did it in any other way because it’s impossible. It’s just impossible," he said.
Motsoaledi also dismissed concerns that strengthening the healthcare system and implementing NHI are mutually exclusive. He argued that improving public hospitals is a strategic part of the NHI rollout, reinforcing the government’s long-term vision for equitable healthcare access.
So, for now, in answer to a week of chaos and query, it appears they didn't.
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