Private health care must become cheaper

"Two things are needed to make the NHI flourish – the public health care system must work and pricing in private health must be tamed."

The private health sector was resisting this change, he said.

"Court cases are being prepared. I'm aware of people who follow me to meetings... taking notes to prepare a court case.

"They want to make people believe that health care is expensive."

Motsoaledi said he could not be neutral on the matter.

"I want health care to be affordable."

Quality standards needed to be high and consistent, and monitoring and evaluation systems were being developed to help ensure the NHI could realise this ideal.

The NHI pilot project was started in April 2012 across 11 districts in the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and the Free State.

The scheme will be phased in across the country over 14 years.