Government does not believe it can wait until the healthcare system is improved before implementing national health insurance, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has said.
The minister was speaking at a briefing at Tuynhuys, Parliament, where the report of the outcomes of the presidential health summit, held late last year, was released.
During his address on Tuesday, Motsoaledi said government would be taking significant steps towards implementing universal healthcare.
Last week, president Cyril Ramaphosa said that the National Health Insurance Bill would be tabled before Parliament this year.
NHI will ensure that South Africans can receive free health services at the point of care at both public and private quality-accredited healthcare service providers, Motsoaledi said.
NHI is a proposed state-run health financing system that aims to pool funds to provide access to quality health services for all South Africans regardless of their economic status.
