President Cyril Ramaphosa had 'noted the concerns expressed by some business leaders about his signing into law of the NHI Bill', and was considering how to give the private sector greater input into its implementation, according to his spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya.

In response to substantial backlash elicited by his signing of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill into law on Wednesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa is "giving thought to a mechanism" for greater engagement and collaboration with business, labour and other social partners, according to his spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya.

"Our legal framework also allows for amendments to be made if necessary," Magwenya said.

On Friday, Business Maverick reported that one of the biggest concerns around the implementation of NHI was that there is very little solid detail in the Act. Costs and benefits were the two key issues in the NHI Act that faced constitutional challenges, said Neil Kirby, the director and head of healthcare and life sciences at Werksmans Attorneys.

Legal challenges are already in the works from the trade union Solidarity, the Health Funders' Association, the South African Medical Association, the Board of Healthcare Funders, the South African Health Professionals Collaboration and the Democratic Alliance.

Business Unity SA CEO Khulekani Mathe said, "The Act has procedural unconstitutionalities. The Bill provides for public consultation and the Constitution's drafters did not just mean a tick-box exercise. We put substantive considerations to Parliament that were completely ignored, and this violates important...