NEHAWU Welcomes Recent Developments On The National Health Insurance Bill and Calls for It's Passing in the National Council of Provinces and Speedy Assent By the President
Tuesday November 14, 2023
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] welcomes the outcomes of the public hearings on the National Health Insurance [NHI] Bill as presented at National Council of Provinces [NCOP] Select Committee on Health and Social Services today, 14TH November 2023.
The NHI Bill has traversed the length and breadth of our country, districts rural and urban have had an opportunity to engage on this critical piece of legislation. Community members, workers and civil society organisations have all added their voice in support of the passing of this critical Bill.
NEHAWU has, over the past fifteen years, been at the forefront of ensuring that the NHI Bill has reached this final stage of deliberation. Today marks yet another important step towards the State fulfilling a Constitutional obligation in providing adequate healthcare to all South Africans and dismantling the existing illogical and highly unequal two-tiered healthcare system. The NHI Bill has gone through extensive scrutiny and public debate, it has been contested by major private health insurance companies and was almost derailed by National Treasury and the Minister of Finance.
What now remains is for there to be unanimity amongst progressive comrades and members of NCOP in passing the NHI bill when it is tabled in the NCOP later this month. NEHAWU urges members of the NCOP not to delay the passing of this Bill any further and to ensure that this process comes to its logical conclusion through the expeditious assent by the President.
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Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat
Zola Saphetha (General Secretary) at 082 558 5968;
December Mavuso (Deputy General Secretary) at 082 558 5969;
Lwazi Nkolonzi (NEHAWU National Spokesperson) at 081 558 2335 or email: lwazin@nehawu.org.za
Visit https://www.nehawu.org.za