Patient claims he was denied medical treatment at Tembisa Hospital

A bed-ridden 83-year-old pensioner claimed he was chased away from the Tembisa Hospital and denied access to medical attention because he didn’t have money. However, the hospital has denied the claim, and said even on his version, the hospital was willing to provide him with hospital services.

Junius Maela told Tembisan he was turned back without being given medical attention “because he didn’t have the money the hospital demanded from him”.

“I was first taken from home by an ambulance to the hospital, and later was treated and discharged, but under doctor’s instructions that I must come back for more tests and scans.

And on my next consultation, I was told to go to a counter to pay a R75 fee, which I gladly paid. But this time, I mentioned to the clerks that since I am a pensioner, I can’t afford to pay every time I consult,” he said.

He said the clerks told him to go to the nearest South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) offices for a confirmation letter

that he was a pensioner, and would not be charged the next time he visited the facility.

He said he went to Sassa and got the confirmation letter, which this newspaper has seen.

“After this, I went again for a scanner appointment. This is when I was told to pay R225 before I could proceed. I explained my

situation and told them I was a pensioner, and that I submitted a letter as a proof. I was then taken to the senior clerk in her office, and again explained my situation, but she just told me that if I had no money I can’t see the doctor. She told me to go home and get the money first. I missed my appointment with the doctor,” said Maela.

When this paper visited him at his home, he still had not received any medical attention as he still didn’t have the R225 demanded by the hospital.

According to the Constitution,“the state is obliged to respect, protect, promote and fulfill all the rights in the Bill of Rights. And in the case of the right to health… and obliges the state to refrain from denying or limiting access to health care services to anyone”.

The Constitution states that a person has a right to have access to health care services, and that no one may be denied emergency medical treatment regardless of one’s ability to pay.

Asked for a comment, the hospital spokesperson, Nothando Mdluli said: “Pensioners are exempted from paying provided they have

submitted all necessary documents. If they do not submit the documents they will be required to pay. Those unemployed are requested to pay a minimum payment of R75.

“The services rendered by the hospital are tertiary hospital services. Meaning our patients receive specialised treatment as we have specialised doctors. “The only healthcare facilities where patients would not pay in South Africa are clinics. But when it comes to accessing tertiary services, every patient is required to pay.

“All emergency patients are seen and treated. Once they recover, they will then be requested to pay because we would have created a debt account for the patient. Meaning we treat them first and they pay later.”

Mdluli also apologised on behalf of the hospital.

“We apologise that the patient did not receive the needed medical attention. However, according to our records, the patient was seen by our admin clerks on the day of visit August 5, at 10.19 am at our medical outpatient department. He was then referred to our main outpatient department at 11.27am where he was classified as a patient that is not supposed to pay.

“We are then unable to establish what could have happened with the patient, because according to us, he should have proceeded with receiving medical attention to the relevant clinic. Meaning once the patient was classified as a non-paying patient no one could have chased him away based on that he is a non-paying patient.

“We are happy to assist the patient. We tried to phone him several times, however, without any success. We request that the patient must come back to the hospital so that he is assisted properly.”