South Africa airlifts patient who could not receive proper treatment in Bulawayo
By Caleb Chikwawawa
A South African national who fell ill in Bulawayo where he has been employed was reportedly flown back to his country on Monday after failing to get some “necessary treatment” in Zimbabwe.
In a post on X by the Limpopo Provincial Government, the unnamed patient, whose ailment was also not disclosed, was ferried in an ambulance to Beitbridge and then taken by helicopter to a hospital in South Africa’s Limpopo province.
The incident was highlighted by controversial Limpopo Premier, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, and Health Member of the Executive Committee (MEC), Dieketseng Mashego, to receive the patient from medica staff who ferried him to South Africa.
“He could not receive necessary medical treatment when he fell ill in Bulawayo,” said the Limpopo Provincial Government on X.
However, the decision to repatriate the citizen after falling ill in Zimbabwe has been received with mixed feelings by some people.
A “Fortune Bantu”, who uses the handle @Bantu_Wa_Afrika accused Ramathuba of grandstanding.
“Grandstanding. Was that an ordinary South African citizen. I have seen SA citizens dying in Mozambique why were they not airlifted,” said the X user.
A Tapiwa Munjoma also felt this could be a dramatized lie about Zimbabwe’s health delivery system.
“So Mater Dei Hospital could not assist this patient but could treat victims of the Rovos Railroad train accident who are probably millionaires? He also could’ve been flown to Harare. Interesting but the story isn’t adding up. Speedy recovery for the patient though,” said the user.
Zimbabwe’s healthcare system faces significant challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, poorly remunerated staff, the flight of skill to better paying countries abroad, among others.
