Interrogation, intimidation of black doctors by medical schemes âworse than what happened during apartheidâ
By Bongani Nkosi
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Johannesburg - The interim report on medical aid schemes released this week has exposed systemic racism that black people have generally continued to face in the country.
On Thursday, black doctors called a media briefing to reply to the report that confirmed their long-standing complaints against medical aids.
Released by a panel chaired by advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, the report revealed that three major schemes subjected African and Indian healthcare practitioners in private practice to unfair racial discrimination between 2012 and 2019.
These were Discovery, the Government Employees Medical Scheme (Gems) and Medscheme.
The interrogation and intimidation faced by black healthcare practitioners in the country were worse than what was done during apartheid.
Dr Prudence Buthelezi, a health practitioner and co-founder of the National Health Care Professionals Association (NHCPA), said this on Thursday as she recounted the experiences she and her colleagues faced over a seven-year period.
The racial profiling were finally given credence by the Section 59 Investigation Panel’s report released this week.
“Today, we say victory is ours. We are the conquerers,” Buthelezi told a virtual and physical audience of fellow practitioners gathered on Thursday, as they reflected on the report findings.