Providers urge govt to prioritise accessible and affordable healthcare

As Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana prepares to table the 2026 national budget on Wednesday, healthcare providers are urging government to prioritise efforts to make healthcare accessible and affordable for communities on the margins.

The latest calls come as the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI) continues to hang in the balance.

On Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa placed the NHI rollout on hold, pending a Constitutional Court ruling on the legislation.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa optimistic about NHI implementation despite ConCourt challenge

As Treasury finalises healthcare allocations, community providers are calling for pragmatic funding decisions that expand access immediately while broader reforms evolve.

Alef Meulenberg, the founder and executive chairman at NPO Rhiza Babuyile, weighed in: “Without immediate action and a firm commitment from government that ensures that hospitals and clinics are built or upgraded in pursuit of a healthy nation, millions of South Africans will continue to be excluded from primary healthcare while long-term reforms such as National Health Insurance hang in the balance.

“With the further delay to NHI’s implementation, the divide between private and public healthcare continues to widen. Those with medical aid retain choice and speed of access.

“Those without it navigate overcrowded facilities and long waiting times. A growing segment of working South Africans earning too much to qualify for free public services yet too little to afford private insurance remains structurally excluded. That middle-income gap is where the system is currently failing.”

Meulenberg said practical, scalable models already exist to bridge this divide.

He said policy reform is important, but healthcare access cannot be deferred to future cycles.

“The budget must fund what already works - not postpone it.”

Healthcare advocates believe the 2026 budget presents an opportunity to introduce interim financing mechanisms that lower barriers immediately, including a co-payment or reimbursement model for accredited community clinics that they believe could widen access without the capital costs of building new facilities from scratch.

“The infrastructure exists. Skilled nurses exist. Community trust exists. What is missing is the financing bridge,” noted Meulenberg.