Dr Kulani Tibane, Clinical Executive Director at Mankweng Hospital, addresses the audience on the challenges of meeting accreditation standards for NHI integration. Photo: Linah Raphela
By Knowledge Mnisi – knowledge.mnisi@ul.ac.za
With the National Health Insurance (NHI) being a topic of national interest and debate, the University of Limpopo (UL), through its School of Medicine, and the Department of Public Health Medicine (PHM), recently hosted a seminar to explore the challenges, opportunities, and progress surrounding its implementation in South Africa
The event brought together Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) 5th-year students, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and civil society representatives, creating a platform for open dialogue and knowledge exchange. Discussions centred on the current state of healthcare financing, administrative inefficiencies, and the role of medical professionals in shaping the future of healthcare delivery within the NHI framework.
The keynote speaker, Professor Nicholas Crisp , Deputy Director General: National Health Insurance at the National Department of Health, provided an in-depth analysis of NHI implementation, financial structuring, and systemic inefficiencies. He emphasised that the funding necessary for implementing the NHI already exists within the current two-tier health system but needs to be redirected and utilised more efficiently.
“The money to implement NHI is available, but it needs to be redirected for efficient use,” Prof Crisp stated.
He further pointed out that a significant portion of healthcare funds in the private sector is spent on administration rather than on actual patient treatment.
“The NHI will have limited administrative expenditure and will introduce defined yet comprehensive health benefit packages to ensure cost-effectiveness,” he added.
Prof Crisp also referenced findings from the Health Market Inquiry (HMI), which revealed inefficiencies, high costs, and a lack of competition in the private healthcare sector. He explained that the NHI aims to eliminate wasteful spending while ensuring healthcare equity for all South Africans.
Attending the NHI workshop, 5th-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) students, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and civil society representatives discuss strategies for its implementation. Photo: Linah Raphela
“The NHI is designed to create a more sustainable healthcare system that prioritises patient care over excessive administrative costs,” he stated.
Dr Mhlengi Ncube, representing the South African Medical Association (SAMA), reaffirmed the organisation’s advocacy for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) but expressed concerns about whether NHI is the ideal mechanism to achieve it.
“Medical professionals must be adequately compensated and fully integrated into the system under NHI for it to succeed,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dr Kulani Tibane,Clinical Executive Director at Mankweng Hospital, highlighted the challenges faced by tertiary hospitals in Limpopo in meeting accreditation standards for full NHI integration.
“A collaborative effort is required to meet the Office of Health Standards Compliance (OHSC) targets. The integration of NHI in our hospitals will demand teamwork and adherence to high standards,” he noted.
Sequence Ncube, a 5th-year medical student, reflected on the importance of embracing change in the healthcare sector.
“Change is not always comfortable. It does not massage everyone’s feelings or tickle everyone’s little toes, but it is essential for human progress. Dinosaurs failed to change and adapt, and now we only see their remains in museums—may that never be the case for our health system,” he stated.
“As future healthcare providers, we must be at the forefront of change, ensuring that the NHI framework is not just a policy but a reality that transforms lives,” he urged.