The department of health spent R28.5m promoting government's National Health Insurance policy from April 1 2024 to date, health minister Aaron Motsoaledi said in a written reply to a parliamentary question.
The question was asked by DA health spokesperson Michelle Clarke, who said in a statement that the “astronomical” sum was a waste of taxpayers money particularly in the light of the critical shortages in the health sector.
The DA is strongly opposed to the National Health Insurance Act, which aims to provide universal healthcare free at the point of delivery, particularly because it will eventually result in the exclusion of medical aids and this has caused tension in the government of national unity (GNU). Organised business is also opposed to the plan.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has set up a ministerial advisory committee (MAC) in a bid to resolve the differences.
The minister also noted that the R77.8m allocated in 2019/20 for NHI advertising through the tainted Digital Vibes company was repurposed in 2022 for Covid-19 communication. “This sum is the matter of investigation by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU),” he added.
According to the SIU, Digital Vibes was appointed in 2019 to perform NHI communication services. This was extended to cover Covid-19 communications. Altogether the department allocated about R150m to the company in what the SIU found were irregular procurement processes.
Questioned as to whether R28.5m was not an excessive amount, health department spokesperson Foster Mohale said it was not, given what was very expensive television advertising. It was necessary to have a broad reach of advertising using a variety of platforms to reach as many people as possible.
“I don’t think it is a lot,” he said.
Business Day also questioned Mohale as to why it was necessary to promote NHI, to which he replied: “NHI is the policy of government. Just like other policies of government we have to raise awareness. I don't see any problem,” Mohale said. “We have to make people aware of the benefits and the intended benefits of this government policy.”
He also clarified that the department only started promoting NHI in July 2024 after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the National Health Insurance Act in May 2024.
“We started raising awareness post the signing,” he said.
Clarke said in a statement that the DA demanded that Motsoaledi immediately halt the “taxpayer-funded propaganda campaign for NHI”.
“This campaign is an unnecessary and wasteful use of public funds, especially at a time when SA’s public healthcare system is in dire need of qualified doctors, nurses and medical personnel.
“This spending serves no other purpose than to further the minister's vanity project, rather than addressing the real, urgent healthcare crises facing our country. We call on the minister to stop wasting millions of rand on NHI advertising and redirect those funds into addressing the severe staffing shortages in our public hospitals.”
Clarke said Motsoaledi claimed there were no funds to fill the 2,000 vacant medical positions in public hospitals. While he pushed the “flawed” NHI scheme, the country faced shortage of healthcare workers.
She noted that in another reply to a parliamentary question Motsoaledi disclosed that the country’s doctor-to-patient ratio stood at 1:2,230, and the nurse-to-patient ratio was 1:762.
“Last year, 2 000 critical medical posts were left vacant, and yet, thousands of qualified doctors and healthcare professionals remain unemployed or underemployed,” Clarke said.
“The DA has already reported that many newly qualified doctors are left with no option but to seek employment abroad or join the private healthcare sector, further straining the already fragile system.
“The ministry of health’s persistent defence of the NHI is unconscionable in the face of these glaring deficiencies. It is inconceivable that this government, which cannot provide basic healthcare services to its people, chooses to splurge millions on advertisements that promote an unrealistic, unimplementable healthcare scheme.
“The billboards that decorate our highways, social media and other advertising, celebrating the NHI are a slap in the face to every SA taxpayer who is already shouldering the burden of a failing healthcare system,” Clarke said.
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