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Health department considering charging countries for immigrants who access services, says Phaahla

Health minister Joe Phaahla says every government has a responsibility to its citizens "so we need to also hold them accountable for their responsibility'. File photo.
Health minister Joe Phaahla says every government has a responsibility to its citizens "so we need to also hold them accountable for their responsibility'. File photo.
Image: Freddy Mavunda

Health minister Joe Phaahla says the national health department is considering charging neighbouring countries for immigrants who access health services in SA. 

According to Phaahla, the department is consulting with governments from neighbouring countries to see how they can contribute to the medical bills of immigrants in SA. 

Phaahla was speaking during a site visit at Kalafong Hospital in Atteridgeville on Thursday, where Operation Dudula barred foreign nationals from entering the hospital.

Demonstrators stood outside the hospital entrance, one with a loudspeaker, as they informed those approaching that illegal foreigners would not be allowed inside.

“There have been suggestions and acknowledgment that the issue of additional services from neighbours does add additional pressure and that we must find ways to deal with it, including possibilities of contributions for some of the services by the governments of the neighbouring countries,” said Phaahla.

He said the department was looking at organising for governments from neighbouring countries to sign agreements whereby, if there is a need for SA to be refunded for providing health services to immigrants, there could be some compensation.

“Every government has a responsibility to its citizens so we need to hold them accountable for their responsibility .

“If South Africans go to Namibia to seek help, the Namibian government must hold us accountable. If, for instance, we are unable to provide renal dialysis and people are flocking to Namibia to get renal dialysis, they must hold us accountable and say: ‘We’ve got your people here who need dialysis. We can provide it but what are you going to do to compensate?’ These are the things we need to put into regulation.” 

Earlier this week, government said Operation Dudula was infringing on basic human rights.

“They go against the tenets of our hard fought for democracy. In SA, the right to access health services is a basic human right guaranteed by the constitution. SA is governed by the rule of law, which makes provision for every person in the country, regardless of their nationality or documentation status, to access healthcare.”

It said the victimisation of patients and hospital employees who are suspected of being foreign nationals should be condemned by everyone.

“The Southern African Development Community agreements, which SA is a party to, allows foreign nationals from member states to receive the same care as all South Africans,” she said.

Minister in the presidency Mondli Gungubele cautioned that preventing access to healthcare can have dire consequences for patients and a negative impact on the public health system and the country’s citizens

“We understand the public health system is overburdened. However, doctors and healthcare workers have an obligation to provide healthcare to those in need.

“The Hippocratic Oath guides the actions of doctors, which includes them not withholding services because of religion, nationality, race, politics or social standing. Government is hard at work to improve our healthcare system and deal with challenges,” he said.

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