Illegal foreigners should be removed from public hospitals or pay up, says ActionSA's Kgosi Letlape
This comes after the government and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) condemned the behaviour of community members and advocacy groups like Operation Dudula which have blocked illegal foreigners from receiving medical care.
During an oversight visit to Rahima Moosa hospital in Johannesburg, Letlape was informed that more than 40% of the patient load consisted of foreign nationals. He believes that removing foreigners from public hospitals and clinics would alleviate the burden on the already strained system.
'If you take foreign nationals out of the public health-care system you may begin to cope with the burden,' he said in an interview with Newzroom Afrika. 'The system cannot cope.'
According to the constitution, everyone has the right of access to health-care services. Letlape suggests the constitution should be amended to only cater to South African citizens and permanent residents.
'We cannot afford to provide health-care services to the globe, it's insufficient for our citizens.'
He said foreigners should have health insurance to pay for services at private facilities.
'As they come in, they should have health insurance so that they'll be able to access private health care. If they access our facilities, they should pay for those services. I'm not violating their rights; I'm saying let them be upright citizens and respect the laws of this country. Let them not invade our borders unlawfully and when they present themselves here, let them be law-abiding legal citizens so that we can uphold their human rights.'
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