South Africa’s Department of Health says it is investigating remarks made by a senior Limpopo provincial health official, Phophi Ramathupa, who told a Zimbabwean patient at Bela Bela Hospital that illegal foreigners are overstretching the diminishing healthcare system in the country.
In a statement, the Department of Health warned health workers to maintain high moral obligations in line with the Hippocratic Oath and South African laws.
The Department of Health indicated that it has been inundated with media inquiries about Ramathupa’s comments made in a video at the hospital.
It said, “…The Department does not have full context of the video conversation between the MEC (Member of Executive Council) and the patient, which makes it difficult to make a conclusion.
“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 neighboring countries seeking healthcare service in the country, other than the asylum-seekers and refugees.”
The Department of Health noted that this is one of the issues that are discussed during bilateral and multilateral meetings at Southern African Development Community level in order to find a long lasting solution.
“Limpopo Province is 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 and subject to a fee.”
The Zimbabwean patient has not yet been identified.