There are a few issues in South Africa that truly cut to the heart of our democracy. A close examination of our healthcare system reveals whether political promises truly aim to improve healthcare.
It was Mahatma Gandhi who once said, ‘The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable’. After a career spent working to improve healthcare access for South Africans, I can tell you one thing for sure: we need to make realistic strides to universal healthcare so that it is not just an ideological statement. Healthcare needs realistic and incremental reform. It’s a moral imperative and something we cannot afford to get wrong.
Globally we have seen developed countries falter when trying to throw additional money into healthcare without any commensurate improvement in the health of its citizens. Right now, our country is at a crossroads. We find ourselves unceremoniously wedged between the aspiration of universal healthcare and the realities of a stagnant economic growth cycle, higher unemployment rates and an overstretched and underfunded healthcare system. Between political promises and the lived experience of millions who queue in crumbling facilities or forego care altogether.
Our 2025 Profmed State of Health Report revealed deep public scepticism. Around 75% of respondents believe the NHI will worsen healthcare delivery. And while 44% support mandatory medical aid membership for employed individuals, more than 60% report no confidence at all in the public system. These are not just statistics but stories of the very people this system has failed.
That failure matters to me. I’ve sat across from too many young doctors, full of purpose and potential, unsure whether they can build a future here. I’ve spoken with countless professionals who want to support the system but feel locked out by uncertain future income. And I’ve watched, for over two decades, how political posturing often drowns out desperately needed practical solutions.
The dream of universal healthcare cannot live or die on the fate of a single policy. We need a system that grows from the ground up. A healthcare system that acknowledges our economic constraints, respects constitutional rights, and most critically of all, works. That doesn’t mean rejecting the public system. It means fixing what’s broken and building on what works. We’ve seen public-private partnerships in oncology save lives. We’ve seen the potential in shared procurement, skills transfer, and strategic funding models. Why aren’t we scaling that?
The good news? There is still time to change course. Time to replace ideology with collaboration. To invite input from all corners of the system, from finance and policy to practitioners and patients.
On 26 June, Profmed will host a nationally televised discussion in partnership with Business Day TV, bringing together respected leaders from healthcare, finance and policy to ask the hard questions, test assumptions and seek practical answers.
We won’t solve it then and there, but we represent professionals who believe in this country. It is our sincere hope for a future where every South African, regardless of their income or geographic location, has access to quality care. That future is still possible. But we must be bold enough to challenge our assumptions, brave enough to admit when something isn’t working, and committed enough to build something better together.
This isn’t just another policy debate. It’s about people’s lives. And the path we choose now will define our healthcare system for generations to come. The panel will be released on 26 June on BusinessDay TV, and join the conversation. The future of universal healthcare in South Africa depends on all our commitment and scrutiny.
