Zimbabwean Patient Records Shocking Clinic Encounter With South African Nurses
A Zimbabwean patient’s encounter with South African nurses sparked widespread debate and outrage after a video went viral on social media, reported The South African.
The video was recorded by the Zimbabwean patient at Halfway House Clinic in Midrand on Thursday, 16 January.
In the first part of the video, a nurse is seen speaking on the phone with a colleague, ostensibly to inquire about the transfer letter.
The colleague reportedly responds that she “never saw the patient.” When the nurse relays this message, the patient adamantly counters:
Yes, she never saw me, she never attended me. I saw her, I saw her. She can just do it now, rather than sitting there, she can just do it now. Can you ask her to do it now?
The tension escalates as the patient’s camera pans to a second nurse, accused of neglecting to check the patient’s blood pressure.
The nurse claims, “I don’t check BP,” prompting the patient to ask, “What do you do?” The nurse replies, “I sleep, move around, and eat a lot.”
This draws a sharp rebuke from the patient, who comments on the nurse’s weight: “That is why you are fat.” Growing frustrated, the patient says:
They said she must write me a transfer. She is not… No, I came here what time? I can’t wait anymore. Write me a transfer, let me go to the doctor.
The nurse, however, refuses, responding defiantly, and aware that the patient was recording the encounter, said:
I won’t write you a transfer. Shout as much as you want, let everyone hear you. I won’t write you. Take a pic, here, sue me, post me, I will sue the f*** out of you.”
The video has since ignited a firestorm of reactions online, with many expressing outrage at the nurses’ unprofessional behaviour.
Critics have called for accountability and urged health authorities to investigate the incident thoroughly. However, others argued that the patient was very rude.
There is a history of clashes between Zimbabwean patients and South African medical personnel in South African hospitals.
In August 2022, Limpopo Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba made controversial comments about Zimbabwean migrants, saying they strained the provincial healthcare system.
In a widely circulated video, she told a Zimbabwean patient at a Bela Bela hospital that South Africa was not running a charity and that migrants were not budgeted for in the healthcare system.
Ramathuba said the healthcare system was meant for the people of Limpopo and that foreign nationals were not part of the budget.
Her comments sparked backlash. The Zimbabwean embassy expressed shock and disbelief, calling for diplomatic engagement to address the issue.
Recent reports suggest that some Zimbabwean women are crossing into South Africa illegally to give birth and register their children as South African citizens to access social grants.
This has led to increased border patrols by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to curb illegal immigration.
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