NHS for SA?

BBC News reports

South Africa's government has set out its plans to introduce a universal health care scheme.

A pilot scheme in 10 areas is to start in April 2012, and will then be phased in nationally over the next 14 years.

"These first steps towards establishing national health insurance are truly historic," the health minister said.

Analysts say South Africa is one of the world's most unequal societies, where quality health care is skewed towards the private sector.

Oh dear, not the ghastly private sector!

Onward Socialist Soldiers!

"If you earn above a certain income you will be required by law to make a contribution to the NHI Fund. It will not be possible to opt out of this responsibility," he said.

Coercion! That's what we like to see!

"The central challenge to the stability and well-being of our nation is reducing the deep inequality between rich and poor, between privilege and deprivation. This goes to the heart of South Africa's future," Mr Motsoaledi said.

Ah yes, inequality: the root of all evil. Except not.

Let's just hope the South Africans aren't foolish enough to emulate our Soviet-style healthcare system. Here in the UK, the government is not content to confiscate wealth from some of its citizens in order to pay for the healthcare of others. That works for most other western democracies, but not us. Here we're apparently convinced that the government does a much better job of running things than the private sector, so the government must provide healthcare, as well as requisitioning the funds for it.

It's such a great idea, I wonder why we don't bring back the National Coal Board.