Atiya Mosam

NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE Among all the debate and disagreement on National Health Insurance as a vehicle for South Africa’s universal health coverage aspirations, one idea remains uncontroversial: that Primary Health Care is the cornerstone to a resilient and sustainable health system. But this agreement is just the beginning. To achieve it South Africa’s Primary Health Care system will require massive investment of time and resources.

It was a warm summer’s day at Mofolo community health centre in Soweto. I was a junior doctor, standing at the front of the clinic at 3pm, desperately trying to triage the hundreds of patients still waiting to be seen. In front of me stood a well-dressed, healthy looking man in his early 30s, his demeanour and formal suit implying education and a white-collar job.

NATIONAL HEALTH OP-ED In the debates about National Health Insurance (NHI), the focus has been on the envisaged cost and affordability. What is constantly overlooked are the social and financial costs of a growing burden of preventable diseases. South Africa has a burgeoning epidemic of non-communicable diseases, contributing to about half of all deaths in the country.