Special Reports:

National Health Insurance

< Back to special reports

The National Health Insurance (NHI), for which membership will be compulsory, is a funding scheme that aims to address healthcare inequity in South Africa. The scheme will do this by creating a fund that the government will use to buy healthcare services at set fees from accredited public and private health providers. The NHI Bill was passed in the National Assembly in June 2023. It has to go to the National Council of Provinces for approval.

HomeMultimedia What makes a good doctor? Why school marks aren’t everything

[WATCH] What makes a good doctor? Why school marks aren’t everything

  • Students with better matric marks are more likely to do well in the theoretical part of medical school, but not necessarily the practical side (when they treat patients). 
  • English and Afrikaans speaking doctors often struggle to communicate with black patients who don’t speak these languages, which can make it harder for them to provide quality care. 
  • Research from the US shows that black doctors are often more successful at treating black patients than white doctors.

A doctor’s race and the language they speak can play a role in the kind of care they provide – depending on their patient’s race and language.

  • Read the full script here.

Dylan Bush was a health journalist at Bhekisisa from February 2016 to September 2023.

Jesse Copelyn was a health journalist at Bhekisisa between 2022 and 2023.

RELATED ARTICLES
MORE FROM AUTHOR