Limpopo MEC for Health, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, is sticking to her guns after facing backlash for comments made towards a Zimbabwean patient undergoing treatment in a local hospital.
Speaking to the SABC, Ramathuba said it was her responsibility to ensure that the people in her province lived a long and healthy life.
“When people of Limpopo are waiting to be operated and they are not getting joy, they come to no one other than myself. And when there are challenges that I see that are affecting initiatives as a province, I will have to address those challenges. So yes, I will have to deal with anything that has to do with health issues in my province, for the sake of these people of Limpopo,” she said.
Ramathuba added that those who government said were beneficiaries of a rural healthcare project relied on government healthcare facilities.
She said illegal foreign nationals had the option of seeking healthcare in their home countries. She said when illegal nationals “hijack” SA healthcare services, they rob a local of an opportunity.
Ramathuba created a stir on social media after she called on a hospital to charge a foreign national for treatment.
In the clip posted on Twitter, Ramathuba said it was only in South Africa where people come into the country and expect treatment. She was reportedly addressing a Zimbabwean patient at a government hospital.
While her comments have been applauded on social media, others are calling for her to step down or be fired.