Share

NHI pilot districts named

Pretoria - Pretoria will be one of 10 districts selected for a national health insurance (NHI) pilot programme from April 1, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said on Thursday.

He said Tshwane is suitable for the pilot as it covers rural and urban areas.

In the Eastern Cape, the OR Tambo district has been selected and in Limpopo, the Vhembe district.

Other districts chosen for the pilot include Pixley ka Seme in the Northern Cape, Eden district in the Western Cape, Dr K Kaunda district in the North West and Thabo Mofutsanyane in the Free State.

In KwaZulu-Natal, the uMzinyathi and uMgungundlovu districts were selected because of the high population figures in the province.

"We want to see how the NHI works for the 20% of the population of our country," said Motsoaledi.

He said the pilot would help the department find out what interventions are necessary to implement the NHI. The department would also use the process to strengthen the overall health system.

"The NHI is not yet a law. We are piloting voluntarily,"' said Motsoaledi.

Improving public health facilities

The pilot aims to improve the performance of the public health system and ensure that South Africans have access to quality health service.

It will focus on reducing diseases among women and children, and improve the performance of the health system in the country.

Motsoaledi said the 10 districts were selected according to their socioeconomic standing, their health service performance and demographics.

"Pilots will develop and test the norms and standards for the packages to be provided in the district under the NHI, to ensure acceptable standards of care."

He said 94% of the country's health facilities have been audited, and that this would help the department follow up on areas that had to be improved.

Health facilities would have to compile plans to present to the department detailing how they would solve the identified problems or shortfalls.

Once the pilot project is under way, the minister will visit all provinces to speak to concerned parties including general practitioners, members of the private sector and traditional leaders.

Motsoaledi said no province will be allowed to deviate from any of the goals set within the pilot.

The launch of the pilot programme is the first phase of the 14-year roll-out plan of the NHI.

In the next five years, the department will add more districts to the selected 10, the minister said.
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.89
+0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.87
+0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.39
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent-ruolie
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders