ActionSA has reiterated its calls to amend section 27 of the Constitution to curb access to public healthcare for undocumented foreign nationals, amid Operation Dudula s crackdown at public clinics which human rights watchdogs have criticised for constitutional violations.
ActionSA parliamentary chief whip Lerato Ngobeni said the party had tabled constitutional amendment proposals in May, arguing that the public health system was buckling under the pressure of providing free care to non-citizens.
Ngobeni claimed that some clinics reported that up to 70 of patients seeking services were foreign nationals and this had led to South Africans being crowded out of already overstretched facilities.
South Africa is expected to carry this burden indefinitely, when other countries do not even allow entry without proof of medical insurance, she said in a recent statement.
The SAHRC said blocking people from receiving healthcare services is unconstitutional. Referencing section 271 of the Constitution, the commission reaffirmed that everyone has the right to have access to healthcare services, and noted that section 273 guarantees that no one may be refused emergency medical treatment.