ActionSA is deeply concerned about the escalating misuse of Gauteng’s public healthcare system by foreign nationals who receive Oncology treatment without paying their medical costs. This practice not only places additional strain on already overburdened healthcare facilities, but it also diverts resources away from South Africans who require urgent care.
Recent figures show that R 400 million is owed to Steve Biko Academic Hospital and R 700 million is owed to Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital by foreign nationals who have either disappeared, changed addresses, or had provided false contact information. These tactics make it challenging for the Gauteng Department of Health and Wellness to recover the monies owed.
This mismanagement of public health resources is indicative of systemic failures that necessitate immediate remedial action. It is unacceptable that people who enter the country-often without the required paperwork-get access to top-notch medical care and then leave without paying for it whilst the country’s citizens struggle to access adequate healthcare. Public hospitals in Gauteng are ill-equipped to handle this level of abuse, particularly at a time when they are already grappling with lengthy waiting times, a shortage of staff (oncologists), a lack of functional equipment, and the high cost of oncology drugs amidst a struggling economy.
ActionSA calls on the MEC for Health and Wellness, Honorable Nomantu Nkomo Ralehoko to implement decisive measures to stop this exploitation and take firm action against those responsible. This includes:
1. Tracking and recovering the debt: The Department must urgently set up mechanisms to trace these foreign nationals and initiate the necessary legal processes to recover the R 1 .1 billion owed to the two hospitals.
2. Strengthening hospital administrative protocols: Public health facilities must implement robust systems for verifying identities and requiring foreign nationals to pay upfront or provide valid guarantees for treatment.
3. Introducing a payment tracking system: ActionSA implores the MEC and the Department of Health to design and implement a payment system that ensures foreign nationals can be tracked and held
accountable for unpaid bills. This system should mandate a pre-treatment payment arrangement for all non-citizens seeking medical care, save in life-threatening emergencies.
We require strong policies that put South Africans’ needs first without sacrificing the nation’s humanitarian commitments. Hospitals should no longer serve as a free-for-all for individuals exploiting South Africa’s benevolence, with the financial costs borne chiefly by citizens.
It is imperative for hospitals to recoup the monies owed to ensure the continued provision of quality oncology services. Therefore, the Department of Health must act with urgency to recoup monies owed and avert further debts.
ActionSA remains steadfast in holding the Gauteng Health Department accountable to ensure resources are utilised effectively and responsibly by the public and the hospitals.
ActionSA Demands Urgent Action to Address the R 1. 1Billion Debt Owed by Foreign Nationals to Gauteng Public Hospitals
ActionSA is deeply concerned about the escalating misuse of Gauteng’s public healthcare system by foreign nationals who receive Oncology treatment without paying their medical costs. This practice not only places additional strain on already overburdened healthcare facilities, but it also diverts resources away from South Africans who require urgent care.
Recent figures show that R 400 million is owed to Steve Biko Academic Hospital and R 700 million is owed to Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital by foreign nationals who have either disappeared, changed addresses, or had provided false contact information. These tactics make it challenging for the Gauteng Department of Health and Wellness to recover the monies owed.
This mismanagement of public health resources is indicative of systemic failures that necessitate immediate remedial action. It is unacceptable that people who enter the country-often without the required paperwork-get access to top-notch medical care and then leave without paying for it whilst the country’s citizens struggle to access adequate healthcare. Public hospitals in Gauteng are ill-equipped to handle this level of abuse, particularly at a time when they are already grappling with lengthy waiting times, a shortage of staff (oncologists), a lack of functional equipment, and the high cost of oncology drugs amidst a struggling economy.
ActionSA calls on the MEC for Health and Wellness, Honorable Nomantu Nkomo Ralehoko to implement decisive measures to stop this exploitation and take firm action against those responsible. This includes:
1. Tracking and recovering the debt: The Department must urgently set up mechanisms to trace these foreign nationals and initiate the necessary legal processes to recover the R 1 .1 billion owed to the two hospitals.
2. Strengthening hospital administrative protocols: Public health facilities must implement robust systems for verifying identities and requiring foreign nationals to pay upfront or provide valid guarantees for treatment.
3. Introducing a payment tracking system: ActionSA implores the MEC and the Department of Health to design and implement a payment system that ensures foreign nationals can be tracked and held
accountable for unpaid bills. This system should mandate a pre-treatment payment arrangement for all non-citizens seeking medical care, save in life-threatening emergencies.
We require strong policies that put South Africans’ needs first without sacrificing the nation’s humanitarian commitments. Hospitals should no longer serve as a free-for-all for individuals exploiting South Africa’s benevolence, with the financial costs borne chiefly by citizens.
It is imperative for hospitals to recoup the monies owed to ensure the continued provision of quality oncology services. Therefore, the Department of Health must act with urgency to recoup monies owed and avert further debts.
ActionSA remains steadfast in holding the Gauteng Health Department accountable to ensure resources are utilised effectively and responsibly by the public and the hospitals.