A Limpopo family has told of how they were left confused when the Philadelphia Hospital required that they pay more than R4,000 to release the corpse of their loved one.
The Mahlangu family from Siyabuswa, Mpumalanga, said their diabetic sister Lettie was admitted at the hospital in June after her sugar levels dropped.
The 43-year-old domestic worker died at the hospital on June 6 but management would not release her body unless the family settled the R4,626 bill.
“We were shocked when we heard that we had to pay. What I know is that healthcare in SA is free for the disadvantaged, so why are we paying,” said Lettie's brother Koos.
He said the hospital claimed that the payment was for a bill his sister had accumulated over the years while receiving treatment there.
His sister, who did part-time domestic work, had been a regular at the hospital since 2015 when she was diagnosed with diabetes, during which she was never required to pay, according to the brother.
“She was admitted four times during then and now – the first time in 2015, twice in 2019 and then two weeks ago when she wasn't well. The fourth admission was the most recent.
“This is where she regularly collected her diabetes medication as well and at no point was she ever asked to pay.
“I also questioned why they hadn't billed her every time she came to the hospital, I got no answer. They only told us that they couldn't disclose the bill to us every time we brought her in because they can't disclose a patient's debt.”
The family had to raise funds and ask for favours from friends for nearly five hours to pay the bill.
Provincial health spokesperson Neil Shkwambana said citizens are expected to pay for services they receive at public hospitals except for pregnant women, children under the age of six, women terminating pregnancy and people with mental disorders, as well as all services received in a primary healthcare facility.
“Though a person cannot be denied access to treatment due to lack of money, the services are paid for and patients do make arrangements to pay at a later stage if it happens that they consult without the required amounts,” he said.
Shkwambana said patients who visit healthcare facilities are profiled based on how much they earn and from there a determination is made on which services they need to pay for and how much they need to pay.
He denied that the hospital would not release the body until they had made the payment.
“The hospital has also notified the family that in case they are unable to settle the amount, they have an option to approach social workers in order for them to profile the family and confirm that the family is unable to pay the bill. The Mahlangu family opted for the first option, which was to pay the bill.”
While Shkwambana did not explain what exactly Lettie had been charged for, he said hospital managers have the responsibility to collect revenue for the department to maintain and improve services.
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