Human rights group wants state hospital staff to be trained properly

Lawyers for Human Rights have urged the National Department of Health to ensure that staff at all hospitals are properly trained on the law around foreign nationals who need treatment in South Africa.

It’s made the appeal after officials at the Tambo Memorial Hospital in Boksburg turned away a woman in need of urgent medical care, allegedly because she's a foreigner.

Eyewitness News revealed last week that the heavily pregnant woman was also told by hospital staff that she would not be helped unless she paid an upfront amount of R10,000.

But the independent human rights organisation says the law clearly stipulates that asylum seekers, refugees and members of Southern African Development Community countries must be treated the same as citizens.

The group's Patricia Erasmus says communication and training seem to be the problem.

“It’s a call that’s out there and it’s an offer that’s out there. If any government hospitals are willing to accommodate us to provide training as this definitely what we think is part of the solution.”