The Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature conducted public hearing on the National Health Insurance (NHI Bill) at Sakhile Community Hall in Standerton, recently.
The MEC for Health in the province, Ms Sasekani Manzini, with the Senior management, stakeholders from the local municipality, and community members were part of the meeting.
The purpose of these public hearings was to give the people of Lekwa Municipality an opportunity to voice out their views on the NHI Bill.
The main objective of the Bill is to provide universal access to quality health care for all South Africans as enshrined in the Constitution.
The Constitution recognizes healthcare as a fundamental human right. It states that “everyone has the right to have access to health care services.
“The state must take reasonable legislative and other measures within its available resources to achieve the progressive realisation of these rights, and no one may be refused emergency medical treatment.” Said MEC Sasekani Manzini.
The NHI Bill seeks to achieve this by ensuring that: No one is deprived of the above-mentioned rights because of their socio-economic status.
The people of Lekwa local municipality displayed an overwhelming support for the NHI Bill. They emphasized that the next time Legislature visit their area, it should be to monitor the implementation of NHI.