Zimbabweans, and other foreign nationals are yet to be vaccinated despite President Ramaphosa saying all adults in South Africa will get the vaccines.
According to the Zimbabwe Migration Support Network
(ZiMSN), an organisation representing Zimbabwean nationals in South Africa,
accessing healthcare services – even for medical emergencies – is difficult
without valid documents.
“Hundreds of Zimbabwean nationals with medical conditions
were refused treatment by local hospitals and clinics because they don’t have
proper documents, as their permits expired during lockdown,” ZiMSN chairman,
Chris Mapingure, told Spotlight.
He said some pregnant migrants were charged exorbitant fees
to deliver babies in public facilities. Mapingure said they received reports of
a Zimbabwean man who was denied surgery in a hospital in Gauteng and was told
to sign an admission of debt before they would perform any form of surgery.
“Another challenge that migrants encounter when requiring
healthcare services in South Africa is the lack of proper information,” said
Mapingure. “For example, during the Covid-19 period, there was not any form of
communication about foreign nationals… about whether they could test in
government testing centres.
“The lack of accurate information about their rights has
barred many Zimbabweans from accessing healthcare services, assuming that
testing centres were meant only for local people,” he said.
“Even now, the department of health has not yet come up
with a clear clarification about vaccination arrangements for foreigners,”
Mapingure added.
“That alone gives us sleepless nights. Foreigners were also
prevented [from receiving] food parcels that were being distributed [by
government], with preference given to local citizens.”
Mapingure said the South African government must be clear,
and extend the vaccination rollout to all who live in South Africa.
A 59-year-old Zimbabwean woman, who asked to remain
anonymous for fear of victimisation, told Spotlight she has lived in South
Africa for the past two decades and has been on chronic medication for three
years.
“Local clinic nurses don’t have problems when assisting
foreigners with their medical needs,” she says. “Challenges are experienced at
referral hospitals, as we are subjected to abuse.
“I was once turned away at the Port Elizabeth provincial
hospital because of a lack of a valid permit to stay in the country. The
snubbing of foreigners at hospitals is discouraging patients from accessing
healthcare services, with potentially fatal consequences.”
“Everybody in South Africa is entitled to access healthcare
regardless of their nationality or documentation status,” said Jessica
Lawrence, an attorney with Lawyers for Human Rights.
“No one may be refused emergency treatment because
everybody may access healthcare.
“Free healthcare is received by South African citizens, so
anybody who goes to public health facilities will be means-tested in order to
check if they qualify for free healthcare.
“Foreign nationals are not entitled to free healthcare if
they are undocumented. Undocumented persons have to pay for healthcare,” said
Lawrence.
According to her, many foreign nationals could not renew
their permits when Home Affairs offices temporarily closed. “So no one has been
able to renew their papers. The department of home affairs instructed that
documentation which expired during lockdown will be automatically extended
until 31 March 2021.
“However, we have noticed that many healthcare facilities don’t know about this automatic extension. We are concerned that the lack of communication between government departments will result in foreign nationals being excluded from the vaccine rollout,” Lawrence said.
“We believe everybody living in South Africa is eligible
for vaccination when it becomes available in their communities. We are
currently engaging with the department of health to ensure that foreign
nationals are part of the vaccination programme, including those who are
undocumented,” says Lawrence.
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