Hon Deputy Chairperson, the ANC rises in support of the appropriation of Vote 16 on Health, because it is aligned with our people's manifesto commitment. We welcome the amount of R51, 46 billion that has been allocated to this vote in the 2019-20 budget. Health continues to be an apex priority of the ANC and in South African Government.
We welcome the following interventions as announced by the Minister of Health in his 2019 Budget Speech to improve the health services, which will be implemented simultaneously with preliminary steps to introduce the National Health Insurance: Equitable funding for the public health sector; the shortage of staff; supply of medicines; quality improvement; improving management and governance; infrastructure building; strengthening PHC and reorganising the district health system; stakeholder management; implementation of National Health Insurance; and health programmes.
The ANC will continue implementing NHI because the current health model has proved to be the most expensive system and not the NHI, contrary to the view of the opposition. It is estimated that 4,4% of the NHI will be far less than the current cost, as the NHI will seek to address the current skewed funding model and equalise services for all South Africans.
It is for this reason that the National Health Insurance's implementation is consistent with the National Development Plan Vision 2030 because it will provide access to an equal standard of care, irrespective of a person's socioeconomic status. It is with this in mind that the ANC is in support of the appropriations' vote on Health. I thank you. [Applause.]
Voting.
Division demanded.
The Council divided: