Racial bias against black medical practitioners ‘reflects fissures of an unresolved past’
The section 59 independent investigation into complaints by black medical practitioners investigated for submitting improper claims to medical-aid schemes has found that they suffered systematic racial discrimination from three major players in the field, reflecting the persistent schisms of the country’s political past.
“Our constitution regards the form of unfairness that we have found to exist as constituting unfair racial discrimantion,” the panel, headed by advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, concluded its interim report released on Tuesday.
Far-reaching and serious findings
The report was released shortly after the Government Employees Medical Scheme (Gems) failed in the Pretoria high court to secure an urgent court order preventing the panel from publishing its interim findings. The other two medical schemes cited in the report are Discovery and Medscheme.