Thread by @katjanechild

People, especially media, keep talking about NHI as it is imminent. This is misleading to video viewers/readers.
Treasury & health dept are at loggerheads. There is no cash. Health dept has returned NHI grant money to treasury every yr including this one as they can't spend it.

The health dept has 3 people working on NHI fulltime in war room-led a by temp contract worker. The treasury detailed costing document of what can happen has been buried by displeased health dept.
There are real legal challenges & many big firm lawyers have met with experts.

There is mot the staff, the consensus or money and treasury has said 2035 is when first chance of cash. Treasury is scrambling. with every dept told to cut budgets over one yr and 3
In the meantime doctors emmigrating en masse. Insiders say even govt knows it wont happen.

Insiders say Cyril has to appear effective to save his skin from internal ANC enemies. So NHI a political game. Treasury knows they can't increase taxes (without increasing emigration/tax loss & evasion) or stop medical aids without a long legal fight. Let's be honest, as media.

The danger of NHI talk is the 6-year long health market inquiry's detailed suggestions on fixing system are ignored.
Low cost medical aid plans are banned (announced last week), stopping poor getting care from private GPs.
Doctors are fleeing SA. It's bad. BUT NHI won't happen.

NHI talk is weakening country, tax base & preventing reform to help those who need it most-poor using state clinics. Financial Mail reported 80% of radiologists interviewed in a representative sample were considering emigrating. (writing exams to work abroad) Sama data as bad.

Media should stop parroting what the health department tells them without adding what treasury, who holds the purse strings, says publicly.
If you want to do PR for Zweli Mkhize then work for him. Your readers/video viewers deserve better. They need truth.