Iyangqubuzana imibono ngomthethosivivinywa weNHI
Kusukela ngoMfumfu wangonyaka odlule amalungu ePhalamende asekomitini elengamele uMnyango Wezempilo kuzwelonke alokhu ehla enyuka ezungeza elakuleli. La malungu ePhalamende athamela izigcawu zomphakathi ezidingida umthetho osavivinywa owaziwa ngeNational Health Insurance Bill (NHI). Umjikelezo wokuqala walo mkhankaso uqale esifundazweni iGauteng. Kusemqoka ukuqhakambisa ukuthi njengoba lo mkhankanso usuqale ngalo mdlandla kanye nemibono elotshwe izakhamizi zakuleli, izoba ingqikithi yodaba lweNHI njengoba sisebenzela ukuthi ezempilo ezweni lakithi zibe ngezawo wonke umuntu kungakhathaleki ukuthi ungowakuphi. Isimanga-ke ukuthi lapha ezweni lakithi imali engaphezu kwamaphesenti angama-41 ichithwa kwezempilo ezizimele. Phezu kwalokho isibalo sabantu abakwazi ukuthola imishwalense ezimele ingamaphesenti ali-17. Leli lizwe lakithi linezempilo ezizimele ezidula ngendlela eshaqisayo emhlabeni. Ngingakusho ngingananazi ukuthi sinqenqeleza phambili kulokhu.
Umphumela-ke walokhu ukuthi kuba nengcosana edla izambane likapondo exhaswe imishwalense ezimele ekwazi ukuthi isebenzise imitholampilo ezimele bese kuthi isibalo esikhulu sisale sizinwaya utwayi. Kuleli zinga sisebenzise izibhedlela zikaHulumeni ezikhungethwe izingqinamba ezinjengokungabi sesimweni esigculisayo nokushoda kwezinsizakusebenza. Lolu hlelo lweNHI liwumgogodla kaHulumeni ekutheni uvale igebe eselibe khona isikhathi eside phakathi kwalezi zinhlaka zombili zezempilo; ezikaHulumeni nezizimele. Ngaphansi kwalolu hlelo kuzobakhona ezempilo ezizobhekelela izidingo zazo zonke izakhamuzi zaseNingizimu Afrika. Abantu bakithi sebephufumulile ezindaweni eziningi ngodaba lweNHI selokhu lubekwe ezithebeni. Iningi lingabaza ukuthi lolu hlelo luzosebenza yini ngokufanele. Nokho- ke kumele siqaphele ababanga umsindo ngokungenasidingo. Into okumele engabe siyayicubungula kabanzi ukuthi ukuze sibhekane namazinga okungalingani kwezempilo siyisusa kanjani ingqinamba yemali evimba abantu ekutheni bakwazi ukufinyelela kuzo ngaphandle kokuxakeka.
Ngenkathi amalungu ePhalamende ehambele ezinye izindawo, iqeqebana elisebenza emkhakheni wezempilo lagxeka kabi lo mthetho osavivinywa weNHI ngokungathathi noma ukungafaki izimvo zabo emaphepheni engxoxo kaHulumeni abizwa ngeGreen neWhite Paper okuyiwona aqale adingide udaba olunje nandulela lo mthetho. Into okumele siyibuze ukuthi lezi zimvo zalaba bantu nombimbi lwabo ngabe ziyahambisana yini nomgomo weNHI, okuwukuthi kumele ezempilo zisebenzele wonke umuntu wakuleli ukuze athole ukwelashwa emitholampilo okusezingeni angaxakwa isimo semali. Uma uthi uyalalelisisa obekugxekwa ngayo iNHI kulezi zigungu yilaba bantu, kuyacaca ukuthi bebegxile ekutheni lomthethosivinywa weNHI uyashoda ngeminingwane ezoguqula ezempilo. Nokho into okumele siyisho ukuthi awukwazi ukuthi ukhiphe imininingwane egcwele emthethweni osavivinywa. Ingxenye enkulu yalo mthethosivivinywa weNHI iphikisiwe noma yagxekwa yibo laba esikhuluma ngabo lapha ngenhla. Kodwa akukho okuphusile abakubekayo noma lokhu abathi bayakusho okwehlukile kuyagudluka ezimisweni zeNHI ezibekiwe okuwukuthi kumele ezempilo zisebenzele uwonke wonke nemiphakathi yonke yezwe lakithi.
Angazi ngempela ukuthi le mibono yalaba bantu singayifaka kuphi. Uma ngabe laba abagxeka lo mthethosivivinywa weNHI bethi indlela osingethwe ngayo iyiphutha noma ayifanele, ibona kanye okumele bacacise ngokujulile bese beyasibonisa ukuthi lokhu abakushoyo kuzokwenza kanjani ukuthi ezempiloezisezingeni zikwazi ukuthi zifinyelele kubo bonke abantu baseNingizimu Afrika. Okunye futhi okucace bha ukuthi laba abamelene neNHI bavikela ongxiwankulu nempilo yomntakabani ababona ukuthi ingahle iphazamiseke ukulethwa kweNHI. Lokhu-ke akwamukelekile futhi kuyaphikisana nomgomo esike saphawula ngawo weNHI. Izimfuno zezakhamuzi zakuleli makube izona eziyingqikithi zayo yonke into kulolu daba. Uma sibheka isimo sezempilo kuleli lizwe akungabazeki ukuthi asamukelekile futhi asiwona esikawonke wonke. Ake senze isibonelo ngomndeni ohlanganisa umholo wezi-R20 000 ngenyanga. Leli khaya lizochitha imali engangezi-R3 800 kuMedical Aid okungamaphesenti ali-19 omholo walo mndeni. Imali ekhishelwa lamaMedical Aid inyuka ngendlela ekushiya ukhexile.
Ongoti abacwaninga lolu daba bayasibonisa ukuthi ngonyaka wezi- 2030 kulindeleke ukuthi imizi eminingi ichithe cishe uhhafu wemiholo yayo yenzela ukuba ngaphansi kwala maMedical Aid. Ngendlela okubi ngayo, uma le nto inganqandeki ngisho labo abakumaMedical Aid ngeke bakwazi ukusimela lesi simo. Ukwethulwa kweNHI eNingizimu Afrika kuhamba ezinyathelweni zamazwe omhlaba ekutheni ezempilo kumele kube ngezemiphakathi yonkana. NgoMandulo wonyaka ofile uNgqoqgoshe Wezempilo, uDkt uZweli Mkhize nozakwabo bakwanye amazwe, omengameli kanye nabantu abasebenza emkhakheni wezempilo babeyingxenye yomhlangano owawuseqophelelweni eliphezulu wamazwe omhlaba owawungaphansi kwesihloko i-Universal Health Coverage (UHC ). Kuwo lo mhlangano amazwe ayedibene lapha abe esefinyelela esivumelwaneni esacacisa ngokusobala ukuthi uhlelo lwe-UHC luzokwelekelela amazwe afinyelele ezingeni lezempilo ezizosebenzela izikhamuzi zamazwe azo. Lo mbono we-UHC ngaphansi kweNational Health Insurance uzoba indlela ende ezoba nezihibe.
Kuzodingeka uguquko olunzulu ukuthi ezempilo kuleli lizwe lakithi zisebenzele bonke abantu. Njengoba imiphakathi yaseNingizimu Afrika isivezile imibono kanye nezikhalo zayo ngalolu daba ezimbizweni ezisingathwe uHulumeni, into osekufanele sigxile kuyo manje ukuphokophela phambili ngokubambisana nazo zonke izinhlaka ezikulo mkhakha ekunikeni abantu bakithi esibathembise khona ngokuthi sakhe ezempilo ezizoba seqophelweni eliphezulu, zisebenzele bonke abantu kungabi bikho nakancane umuntu wakithi ozovalelwa ngaphandle