Public and private health care in South Africa are like night and day. The public sector has a significant shortage of expertise, while the private sector is expensive and, thus, not accessible. South African citizens find themselves on the losing side either way.
The FF Plus believes that the biggest challenge for the public sector is not a lack of funds, but a lack of expertise and proper planning. Public health care has deteriorated due to mismanagement and corruption, not because of a lack of money.
The ANC government's solution to the problem is to implement a health care plan based on the Cuban health care model. Millions of rand are spent annually on the training of South African students in Cuba.
These students are, however, unable to treat the health issues that are specific to the South African context.
The Cuban health care system seems to be the model on which the National Health Insurance (NHI) plan is based. It is, however, not the socialist model that the ANC is trying to sell to us.
In Cuba, there are three levels of health care: one for foreigners who can pay cash, one for the Cuban elite like public officials and celebrities and one for ordinary citizens. The FF Plus, therefore, has no choice but to oppose the NHI and vote against it.
The FF Plus puts forward the following feasible solutions for public health care:
• Ensure that there is cooperation between the public and private health care sectors so that expertise and facilities can be combined.
• Sound management practices must be implemented at all hospitals and clinics.
• People with managerial experience must be appointed as chief executive officers at hospitals.
• The FF Plus condemns the over-regulation of the medical fund industry whereby the funds are excessively taxed and the nett tax burden on individuals is increased.
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