To: The Honourable Minister of Health
From: Concerned Healthcare Professional
Subject: Urgent Need to Reassess Free Healthcare Policy for Foreign Nationals

Dear Honourable Minister,

I write to you with grave concern regarding the growing and unsustainable burden placed on our public healthcare system due to the provision of free medical services to foreign nationals.

South Africa’s public health infrastructure is already critically underfunded and in a state of disrepair. Many of our hospitals are dilapidated, understaffed, and ill-equipped to meet even the most basic needs of our local population. Extending free healthcare to individuals from other countries, especially when our own citizens wait endlessly for services, is both illogical and unjust.

There is an undeniable and alarming trend of medical tourism, particularly from neighbouring African nations. Foreign nationals, many of whom enter the country solely for the purpose of accessing free healthcare, are flooding our hospitals. This has led to untenable pressure on already overburdened facilities and staff. It is not only the volume of patients that is the problem, but also the practical challenges they present: language barriers, cultural disconnects, and often an outright lack of gratitude or respect toward the healthcare staff doing their utmost under appalling conditions.

We are witnessing a growing sense of frustration and hostility among healthcare workers, many of whom feel disrespected, overworked, and unsupported. The presence of patients who do not contribute to the system, yet place significant strain on it, is fueling this resentment. If no immediate action is taken, the Department of Health must be prepared to face mass dissatisfaction and a potential strike from medical professionals across government facilities.

It is imperative that the Department urgently addresses these grievances and reassesses its policy on free healthcare for non-citizens. Continuing down this path will only accelerate the collapse of our public health system and alienate the very professionals who keep it alive.

We await your response and expect a firm, clear policy shift that prioritises the citizens of South Africa.