“Never Get Sick in SA”: Tourist Shares Private Hospital Bill for Twisted Ankle, Netizens Stunned

• A British tourist on TikTok detailed his medical bill for a twisted ankle at a hospital in Cape Town
• He explained in a video how much he paid for an X-ray, boot, crutches, and a brief consultation with the doctor
• Mzansi netizens were stunned by the total with many claiming he got scammed because he's not a local

Ever get a medical bill that makes you do a double-take? A man from the UK did when he twisted his ankle and went to Life Kingsbury Hospital in Cape Town.

Man breaks down medical costs

The guy broke down the bill on social media. He explained that his X-ray set him back R1,370, while the boot and crutches cost R3,157.

He was charged a whopping R4,000 for a consultation to see the doctor for just “10 seconds." Totalling it all up, his bill came to R8,527.

Expert, Jayshri Rangasamy, shared insights with Briefly News about improving cost transparency and patient affordability in private healthcare, stating:

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"Cost transparency in healthcare remains problematic due to complex pricing structures across sectors. Patients often struggle to compare costs as prices vary significantly between public and private sectors, among different providers within each sector. However, positive developments are emerging through initiatives like the Health Market Inquiry, which promotes price negotiations and caps, and the National Health Insurance scheme, which aims to standardize costs nationwide."

Rangasamy also explained that the cost of healthcare is largely steered by insurance companies, and healthcare providers themselves as well as through policy decisions by the government, and suppliers.

Video gains traction on TikTok

The video with 230,000 views was shared on his TikTok page @corderyfit and sparked chatter among South African people.

Watch the TikTok video below:

Many viewers had a debate about healthcare expenses in SA, with some claiming the tourist bill was daylight robbery.

See some comments below:

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@cleaner2000 said:

"You went private, the government hospital is R20."

@sivee_m stated:

"He charged you for 4 patients. 😂"

@monique_cloete mentioned:

"R4000 just to see the doctor for a consultation fee is insane! Does not sound right. The most I have paid for a consultation was R750. I do not think this is even a consultation cost for a specialist."

@AnnalienvanRooyen commented:

"R4,000 consultation fee. No way!"

@leeann posted:

"We need to see this bill because R4,000 is just crazy."

@clarissa shared:

"I'm South African and can confidently say you were ripped off. The emergency ward is R2000 for a consultation. X-ray of a foot is R600, not sure about the boot and crutches"

@Rahabe88 typed:

"I must never get sick in South Africa. 😭 Modimo R4k consultation. I must never get sick in SA I pray."

@_kaMabaso added:

"They gave you the accent special. 😌"

Other stories about medical expenses

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• One South African woman was left defeated after seeing the hefty hospital bill for her 8-month-old baby.
• Another woman shared her birthing journey at a private hospital and showed how much she paid for medical care.
• Similarly, Briefly News reported that a new mom shared the medical costs of giving birth in a private hospital.

Source: Briefly News