'We cannot turn sick people away from facilities' says KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane

KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane confronted the polarising issue of illegal foreign nationals’ access to healthcare facilities at the launch of the South African Medical Association (SAMA) provincial branch.

Her statements brought to light significant concerns surrounding the pressure migrants place on an already stretched healthcare system in the province.

Simelane said many knew about the ongoing issues concerning the access of illegal foreign nationals to healthcare facilities. She said the issues are sensitive and difficult and must be faced with firm and practical solutions. 

She explained that they budget for 12 million people in KZN; however, they do not know how many illegal foreigners are in the system. 

“You might find that people who actually access our services are more than 15 million, and therefore, our own communities suffer as a result of that. We are aware that this also puts a strain on the health workers within the department,” Simelane said.

“With that said, we cannot turn away people who are sick when they come to our facilities. It is something that we cannot do in terms of the Constitution.” 

Simelane said she knows the minister is engaging with different organisations that are concerned about that matter.

“We hope that in a few days’ time, he’ll be able to respond or make a pronouncement on what it is that they have agreed on.

“So we do have challenges that must be addressed by the national minister at that level. We also have challenges that we need to address with communities,” Simelane said. 

She said people have the right to protest in a constitutional country.

“What cannot be allowed is when people are stopped at the gates of facilities to say, show us your ID before you access the service. That cannot be allowed,” Simelane said. 

“What cannot be allowed is when those who are protesting are allowed into our facilities, to traumatise the patients that are there already, to say, show us your ID as you are sitting in a queue. That can’t continue, because as a departmental office, we have a responsibility to protect our patients.”

Simelane said doctors have a responsibility to ensure that when someone sick comes to healthcare facilities, the person receives the treatment they deserve. 

SAMA KZN chairperson Dr Zanele Bikitsha responded to Simelane’s statements by expressing her fear to someone about issuing a statement on Operation Dudula.

“I felt, let’s stay away from it, because I felt we’re still polarised ourselves, as doctors, we’ve made it a foreign, national, money issue,” Bikitsha said. 

“But at the core, when you got that degree, you went and you made a Hippocratic oath. The Hippocratic oath did not say only if you are South African. It did not. It did not indicate your ethnicity, your nationality, your gender. It said we will serve all.” 

Bikitsha said she believed Simelane was pointing out that systems and balances are needed so that money spent on patients can be correctly reflected.

“Mind you, it’s not only foreigners. We have people who have medical aid that are also accessing our own services, and they don’t declare that they've got medical aid, which we should be charging, so that we can get the money to buy the supplies,” Bikitsha added. 

Cape Times