A POLOKWANE man has lambasted a local private hospital for refusing to treat his injury despite his medical aid having authorised the treatment.

Morris Lepuru, who works for the SAPS in Midrand, was allegedly made to wait 21 hours before staff at the Polokwane Medi-Clinic told him they would not help him.

He said he was initially told that his medical aid would not be enough to pay the hospital costs.

But after receiving an authorisation letter from his medical aid Lepuru was allegedly still not assisted and referred to a government hospital.

Lepuru, 39, said he had cut his right ring finger working on a palisade fence at his home in Emdo Park in Polokwane.

He said he went to the hospital shortly after being injured on February 2 at about 4.30pm.

"I arrived at the hospital with a serious injury but I was sent from pillar to post," Lepuru said.

Lepuru said he only had his wound cleaned on the first day and was told to "come back" the next day.

He said when he returned he was told his medical aid did not have sufficient funds.

He then went to his personal doctor who "immediately" attended to him and stitched his badly injured finger.

"My main concern is that I was made to wait a long time at the institution without being told what the problem was," he said.

"I now do not know who's right and who's wrong between the hospital and the medical aid."

The hospital's patient administration manager, Tobias Strydom, said the medical aid would not have paid for Lepuru's condition because it was not life-threatening.

"Lepuru's plan only allows for prescribed minimum benefits," Strydom said.