Civil society organisations are calling on the national executive to send the draft National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill back to the Department of Health for a proper and thorough consultation process, adding that the health of the nation was not a political game.

In a statement issued on Tuesday organisations including Section27, Treatment Action Campaign, Rural Health Advocacy Project, the People’s Health Movement and Lawyers for Human Rights are concerned that the NHI Bill is being rushed through the legislative process ahead of its presentation to Cabinet tomorrow. 

They say the draft NHI Bill was finally published for comment in June 2018 with interested parties including South Africans being given only three months to make submissions. 

The organisations stated that requests for an extension were ignored.

“What started as a marathon has turned into a sprint. After over a decade of policy documents, each iteration being further denuded of detail and meaning, and with little apparent attention to legitimate comments and concerns, the National Health Insurance Bill looks likely to be rushed through the legislative process following its hasty presentation to Cabinet tomorrow,” civil society has said.

They further argued that the latest version of the Bill could not have taken into account the likely hundreds of submissions made by interested parties across the country.

They said the draft was also, interestingly, prepared before the Presidential Health Summit of 19 and 20 October 2018, at which delegates made clear the need to focus on system improvement aimed at fixing the crisis in public health rather than on legislation.

“Having ostensibly provided so many opportunities for comment, the comments made over the past decade do not appear to have been taken into account, either between the Green and White Papers and the Bill or after the draft Bill was published for public comment. This makes a mockery of public consultation as required by the Constitution and opens the Bill up to future attack and delay on these grounds,” the organisations have said.

They questioned the processes followed as they state that the development process has been removed from the office of the director-general, who spoke out last week about being side-lined by the Presidency adviser and her subordinates.

“We also understand that the Bill has not been discussed in the National Health Council – the body established by Section 23 of the National Health Act 61 of 2003 to advise the Minister of Health on policy and on proposed health legislation before it is introduced to the legislature, the organisations claim.”

The organisations said it was vital that protections are put in place to prevent the privatisation of the health system and to improve access and quality, primarily through strengthening the public health system.