Cape Town – A private hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe, has offered to pay the medical bill of an unidentified Zimbabwean woman who was berated by Limpopo Health MEC, Dr Phophi Ramathuba for getting treatment at a South African hospital in Bela Bela.
Arundel Hospital made the announcement on its Twitter page and asked community members for help to locate the woman.
“Arundel Hospital will settle all outstanding bills for this woman. Do you know who she is? Please contact us …,” the hospital wrote.
In another tweet, the hospital announced that it provided free medical assistance for all.
“At Arundel Hospital we have an ongoing philanthropic practice where we provide free medical assistance to individuals from all walks of life. We take pride in our efforts, in collaboration with the government of Zimbabwe, to provide optimum health care to all,” read the hospital’s statement.
?ANNOUNCEMENT?
Arundel Hospital will settle all outstanding bills for this woman.Do you know who she is? Please contact us at +263773380322@PhophiRamathuba @EFFSouthAfrica @SABCNews @HealthZA @eNCA pic.twitter.com/9NmKFcWtiI
— Arundel Hospital (@ArundelHospital) August 24, 2022
Ramathuba had lectured the woman on why she should be charged for her medical treatment in South Africa, in a video that went viral on social media.
Ramathuba could be heard telling the patient who was awaiting surgery that her country, Zimbabwe, should take responsibility for her health care, not South Africa.
“You are supposed to be with Mnangagwa. You are killing my health system. When you guys are sick you just say, ‘let’s cross the Limpopo river, there’s a MEC there who’s running a charity department,” said Ramathuba.
Ramathuba’s comments raised the flag on the South African healthcare system challenges and caused mixed reactions on social media.
Political parties, unions and individuals expressed their thoughts on Ramathuba’s comments, with some calling for her dismissal over unethical conduct, while some thought she was stating facts.
Meanwhile, the South African health department acknowledged the challenges raised by the MEC and revealed in a statement that the issue was one of the subjects discussed during bilateral and multilateral meetings at SADC level to find a long-lasting solution.
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Picture: Twitter/ @DimitryHlonisky
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
