Provinces will retain their power: Mkhize

HEALTH Minister Zweli Mkhize yesterday said the provinces would continue to have powers to manage health services when the National Health Insurance is introduced.

“These powers are either directly prescribed from the Constitution or through the National Health Act,” Mkhize was responding to oral questions in the National Council of Provinces.

The DA had asked whether the share of provincial departments would decrease and funds be redirected to the NHI fund.

The official opposition, in its opposition to the NHI Bill, has maintained that the proposed legislation would take away powers of provinces and the health system would be fragmented.

Mkhize said provinces would still be responsible for all emergency services when allocated through the NHI specialized hospital services, mental health and co-ordinate health disaster in their areas, among other things.

He said the provinces would also be responsible for forensic services and mortuaries as well as delegated provisional, tertiary and regional hospitals and also manage the district health function.

Mkhize said the MECs would remain the executing authority for primary functions delegated to provinces.

The minister also said the equitable share to provinces would decrease because some functions would be shifted to the national department.

“Once a function is shifted and identified and quantified, then only will the budget adjustment be implemented.”

Mkhize said the heads of departments and senior officials were discussing how powers should be arranged.

“There will be space for the provinces to play their role,” Mkhize said.

He said the NHI would be a success contrary to the prophets of doom.

“They are what we need to do to strengthen the health system. The lessons from the pilot will be helpful.”

He said the country needed to move on implementation and there was nothing that stood in the way to ensure equitable and universal access to healthcare.

Mkhize denied that the introduction of NHI would have the opposite effect but would ensure efficient delivery system.

He also said the question of perceived corruption did not mean the model could not work.

“It means we double our efforts to fight corruption,” he said.

Mkhize said corruption was taken seriously and they would ensure that it did not affect the NHI fund.

He said they would not create a space for any weakness for abuse of the NHI funds, saying technology would be used to detect fraud.

The parliamentary committee on health has published an advertisement on the bill where it invites interested individuals and relevant stakeholders to submit written comments.

The public has until October 11 to make written submissions