Chair, I would like to thank the Minister of Health for notifying me that he would not be here today. If the Minister of Higher Education could convey my gratitude to him, I would appreciate it.
The National Health Institute, NHI, is going to fundamentally change health care in South Africa. As such, we would have thought that some form of costing model would have been conducted already to give the public and the government an idea of what this is going to cost.
While we understand that there will be a public participation process, despite the Minister's threats of going to war over anyone who may oppose the NHI, the DA will be participating in that process.
We do concur with what the Minister of Higher Education said, that certain aspects of the NHI may change during this process. But one aspect that will not change and will remain fixed is that of the basic package of universal care within NHI. My question to the hon Minister is: If no costing of the basic package of universal care has been conducted, how does the government know that the NHI is affordable and sustainable? Thank you very much.