Parliament has announced a seven-week extension to the closing date for written submissions on the controversial National Health Insurance Bill to 29 November.
Initially written submissions, which opened at the beginning of September, were set to close next week on Friday, 11 October.
The Portfolio Committee on Health has, over the past weeks received requests from stakeholders and individuals, appealing for the extension of the closing date for written submissions on the NHI Bill.
The portfolio committee on health chairperson said the new closing date for the written submissions does not affect the start of the public hearings that are scheduled to begin on 25 October 2019 in the Mpumalanga Province.
Afriforum who is against the implementation of this Bill says the postponement is a sign that the Department of Health is not yet ready to launch a project of this magnitude.
A spokesperson Natasha Venter says its implementation can lead to a total collapse of South Africa’s healthcare system.
