- Lack of Patient Status Tracking in Public Healthcare: The Department of Health does not monitor whether patients are South African citizens, documented foreign nationals, or undocumented individuals, leading to unmeasured burdens on the system.
- Implications of No Verification Mechanism: The absence of verification affects planning, budgeting, and policy development, as the system cannot accurately assess patient demographics or needs.
- Strain on Healthcare System: Overcrowded hospitals, long wait times, and medicine shortages are worsened by the inability to verify patient identity and citizenship, compounding existing challenges.
ActionSA has voiced serious concern following a parliamentary reply revealing that the Department of Health does not track whether patients using public healthcare services are South African citizens, documented foreign nationals, or undocumented individuals.
According to ActionSA, this admission confirms that the public health system faces a rising and unmeasured burden, with no mechanism in place to verify patient status or collect data on who is accessing taxpayer-funded medical care. The absence of such oversight, the party argues, directly affects planning, budgeting, and policy development.
In a healthcare system already strained by overcrowded hospitals, long waiting times, understaffing, and medicine shortages, ActionSA believes this gap is both reckless and unsustainable.
Currently, patients are not required to show any form of identification, meaning hospitals cannot verify citizenship or medical history. This, according to ActionSA, compromises record-keeping and disrupts service continuity.
In May, the party submitted a proposal to amend Section 27 of the Constitution to limit access to public healthcare for undocumented foreign nationals. ActionSA argues that, unlike in South Africa, most countries require proof of medical insurance as a visa condition.
The party maintains that protecting South African citizens’ access to quality and affordable healthcare must remain the top priority.
