By A Correspondent
A South African citizen working in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, was rushed back home after falling seriously ill and reportedly being unable to access adequate medical care in Zimbabwe.
The patient was transported by road over a 280-kilometre stretch from Bulawayo to Beitbridge before being flown by helicopter to Limpopo province in South Africa.
The Limpopo Provincial Government confirmed the incident on Monday through a statement shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) account.
The emergency evacuation underscores the ongoing strain placed on South Africa’s healthcare system by cross-border medical cases.
Upon arriving in Limpopo, the unnamed patient was received by Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba and Health MEC Dieketseng Mashego.
Photos released by provincial authorities show the patient on a stretcher, flanked by the two officials at the helicopter landing site.
“The patient could not receive the necessary medical treatment when he fell ill in Bulawayo,” the Limpopo Government said in the official statement.
The case has reignited longstanding tensions over the burden placed on South Africa’s public hospitals by patients from neighbouring Zimbabwe. The issue continues to stir both political and public debate, as South African facilities grapple with increased demand from foreign nationals seeking medical care.
Recently, a Zimbabwean woman was chased away from Kalafong Hospital in Pretoria West by a group of South African women accusing her of straining the healthcare system. A video of the incident, which quickly went viral, shows the women shouting at the expectant mother and demanding that she return to Zimbabwe for treatment.
The confrontation sparked a public outcry and reignited discourse on xenophobia and healthcare access. The women involved claimed that Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration fails to compensate South Africa for the healthcare services utilized by Zimbabwean nationals.
This is not the first time healthcare pressures between the two countries have made headlines. In August 2022, then-Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba drew international criticism after a video showed her confronting a Zimbabwean patient at Bela Bela Hospital. In the clip, Ramathuba told the patient, “You are killing my health system. It’s not my responsibility to care for patients from Zimbabwe.”
Ramathuba later defended her remarks, stating that the increasing number of patients from neighbouring countries puts “unsustainable pressure” on the provincial healthcare system and budgets.
The latest incident adds another chapter to the complex and emotionally charged issue of regional health migration, with calls growing louder for bilateral solutions between South Africa and Zimbabwe.