Industry Leaders, Experts Unpack “NHI vs Universal Healthcare”

Photo Credit: Profmed

Sometimes we have to have tough conversations to understand nuanced situations better; a group of experts recently unpacked the NHI Bill, looking at how it could compare to Universal Healthcare. Profmed’s Principal Officer and CEO, Craig Comrie, led the roundtable discussion to explore ways to help South Africans.

South Africa (22 July 2025) – Bold headlines, fear-mongering, guilt, and shaming; the feelings surrounding the NHI Bill have been quite negative, and not many South Africans feel positive about the subject. Nor does the majority of South Africa fully understand exactly what it all means. How can one have an opinion, offer insights or feel confident without a full understanding of the subject, one that is, in fact, getting closer and closer to becoming a reality? Scary, isn’t it! But it doesn’t have to be. Profmed is trying to ensure that it won’t be.

Recently, Profmed hosted a roundtable conversation “NHI vs Universal Healthcare” on Business Day TV, and it has sparked public interest. The conversations centred on the real-world consequences of the controversial NHI Bill and what Universal Healthcare should entail.

Joining the conversation alongside Business Day TV and Profmed were speakers from Insight Actuaries, Rothschild & Co and the Health Funders Association. Each is an expert in their field, asking critical questions and providing insights that could help people understand this better. The real question everyone has asked is, “Can we afford to get this wrong?”

The answer is a resounding no! South Africans deserve good quality healthcare. They deserve doctors and nurses who are fairly paid, who have all the necessary resources to do their jobs, and who have the time and scope to see each patient and treat them effectively.

Profmed’s Principal Officer and CEO, Craig Comrie, has consistently called for healthcare reform that is grounded in economic reality and constitutional responsibility. Having weighed in on the NHI conversation many times, Profmed conducted a survey, which was later released in the 2025 State of Health Report, speaking to the public about the impending Bill. It revealed that 75% of South Africans believe NHI will worsen healthcare, and that more than 60% of South Africans lack confidence in the public system.

“With growing political momentum and mounting concerns from healthcare professionals, economists and ordinary citizens, there’s no better time than now to put all perspectives on the table and give South Africans the full picture.” – Craig Comrie, Principal Officer and CEO

For Comrie, the dream of universal healthcare cannot live or die on the fate of a single policy.

“We need a system built from the ground up that acknowledges economic constraints, respects constitutional rights, and most critically of all, functions. That doesn’t mean rejecting the public system. It means fixing what’s broken and building on what works.”
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What each of these experts echoes is that more in-depth work is needed; collaboration with all medical and healthcare stakeholders should be implemented to ensure the South African public is the one that benefits from change.

It’s a nuanced subject, but the more we understand it, the better we can engage where it matters most. This roundtable was hosted to help the South African public gain understanding. It’s here for our benefit. Take a look below: