US president Barack Obama has insisted his controversial healthcare programme is ‘here to stay’ a day after more than seven million people signed up.

Dubbed Obamacare, The Affordable Care Act has been dogged by roll out problems.

In the White House Rose Garden, Obama acknowledged the law wasn’t perfect, but slammed his opponents’ efforts to repeal it.

“I will always work with anyone who is willing to make this law work even better. But the debate over repealing the law is over. The Affordable Care Act is here to stay,” Obama said.

While the health act remains a hot potato in US politics, the number of people who signed up to the programme exceeded initial expectations, as Americans raced to beat Monday’s deadline to avoid higher premiums.