Rustenburg – Acting Health Minister Angie Motshekga has instructed officials to provide her with a full report over Limpopo health MEC Phophi Ramathuba’s viral video, in which she is seen scolding an alleged undocumented migrant for straining the public health system.
In the video, Ramathuba explains how undocumented migrants cause strain on the public health system and tells the patient, who is laying on a bed at Bela Bela Hospital, that Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa does not pay for his citizens utilising health services.
She also reportedly instructed the hospital’s chief executive not to release the patient unless they paid for the services.
“I went to Canada, you know before I entered the country, before they gave me a visa, I must show proof that if I fell sick in Canada, I will be able to cater for myself,” she said.
“It is only in South Africa where people just come in,” she added.
Motshekga said she would provide Health Minister Joe Phaahla with a full report over the incident once he returned to the country.
National health department spokesperson Foster Mohale acknowledged on Wednesday that the public health system was struggling in some areas to meet the healthcare needs of citizens.
“We acknowledge that the public healthcare system is struggling in some areas to meet the healthcare needs of the citizens and reduce the backlogs due to unpredictably high number of undocumented migrants from neighbouring countries seeking healthcare service in the country, other than the asylum-seekers and refugees,” he said.
“This issue is one of the subjects that are discussed during bilateral and multilateral meetings at SADC (Southern African Development Community) level in order to find a long lasting solution.”
He said Limpopo province was one of the affected provinces, and despite these challenges, the healthcare workers must ensure that they maintain high moral obligation and standards in their work in line with the Hippocratic Oath, together with the National Health Act and the Refugee Act of South Africa.
“This does not mean that all services are free, because only primary healthcare services are provided free of charge, but higher levels of care are subject to a fee,“ he added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Ramathuba told SABC News it was her responsibility to ensure that the people in her province lived a long and healthy life.
“When people of Limpopo are waiting to be operated and they are not getting joy, they come to no one other than myself. And when there are challenges that I see that are affecting initiatives as a province, I will have to address those challenges.
“So yes, I will have to deal with anything that has to do with health issues in my province, for the sake of these people of Limpopo,” she said.
Ramathuba added that those who government said were beneficiaries of a rural healthcare project relied on government healthcare facilities.
She said illegal foreign nationals had the option of seeking healthcare in their home countries.
She said when illegal nationals “hijack” SA healthcare services, they rob a local of an opportunity.
Ramathuba’s comments on the video have sparked fiery debates on social media, with some quarters supporting the health MEC, while others have accused the political leader of scapegoating foreigners in the face of corruption that was having a devastating impact on public healthcare.
