The National Health Insurance is unsustainable, unaffordable, and unworkable.
The Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA) remains committed to working with all stakeholders to build a health system that sustainably benefits all who need care.
The Association urges a solution-oriented approach to achieve this objective.
HASA believes the National Health Insurance as currently formulated, is neither sustainable, affordable, nor workable.
The government’s lack of response to several constructive and practical proposals and suggested approaches to achieve universal healthcare have necessitated that HASA
move forward with a legal challenge to the NHI legislation based on several expert opinions, and the vast experience among members of operating in countries featuring various systems of universal healthcare.
Even though HASA has decided to proceed with legal action, it remains hopeful that the Presidency will respond positively to the constructive proposals that have been made.
HASA remains open to engaging with the Government on the way forward in parallel to the legal process.
Key People
The following key people lead HASA’s technical, legal, and policy work on the National Health Insurance.
Gale Shabangu joined Mediclinic Southern Africa in October 2019 as Chief Public Affairs Officer. She has vast experience within the diversity and inclusion field, and has served in similar roles at blue-chip South African companies such as Accenture and Vodacom. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Gale Shabangu
Chairman
Mediclinic
Mark is the Chief Commercial Officer at Lenmed Health, leading funder relations, business diversification, and pharmacy procurement. With three decades of private healthcare experience, including senior roles at Afrox Healthcare and Netcare, he now brings his expertise to Lenmed’s dynamic leadership team.
Mark Bishop
Deputy Chairman
Lenmed Health
Dumisani is the CEO and Chair of the Board’s Stakeholder Engagement Sub-Committee. He holds qualifications in medicine, public health, and business, with experience in clinical care, health management, and policy. He previously led Health Policy and Public Affairs at SAMA and chaired the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Health Technology. He is not aligned with any hospital group.
Dr Dumisani Bomela
CEO
HASA
Prathna Sookoo is Head of Insurance and Medical Law at Life Healthcare and Chair of HASA’s Legal Sub-Committee. With deep experience in law, governance, and risk, she guides strategic legal and risk management in the healthcare sector and supports HASA’s goal of a resilient, trusted private hospital system.
Prathna Sookoo
Legal Chairman
Life Healthcare
Dr Biancha Mentoor, Netcare’s Manager for Health Policy, is a medical doctor with training in public health and health economics. She works across Netcare’s strategic initiatives, contributes to national health policy, and was named a 2024 Mail & Guardian 200 Young South African.
Dr Biancha Mentoor
Deputy Legal & Research Chairman
Netcare
Amrita Raniga is a health economics and negotiations strategist with 17 years in private healthcare. At Life Healthcare, she leads funder and policy engagements and chairs HASA’s Policy and Research Subcommittee. She also serves on BUSA’s Health Policy Committee. She holds degrees in biomedicine and health economics and is completing a BCom in Law.
Amrita Raniga
Policy & Research Chairman
Life Healthcare
Nortons Inc is a leading South African law firm based in Johannesburg that provides bespoke legal services to major corporate clients, specialising in competition and antitrust law, white-collar crime, constitutional and administrative law, public interest litigation, commercial litigation and general regulatory advice.
Nortons Inc
Legal Representative