Zim patient claims he was stopped from leaving SA hospital over R20 000 bill

A Zimbabwean national is allegedly being prevented from leaving a South African hospital after staff refused to release him over unpaid medical bill of R20 000.

As reported by Sechaba Times, Owen Sosa was addmitted at Moses Kotane Hospital on 30 January 2026.

After he was medically discharged, Sosa was reportedly told he could not leave the hospital unless payment arrangements were made.

Discharge granted, payment demanded

Sechaba Times reports that discussions were held with hospital management, and a nurse on duty later confirmed that Sosa could not leave the facility without settling the outstanding amount.

The hospital allegedly instructed Sosa to pay at least half of the bill upfront before being released.

According to reports, Sosa says he remains confused about how the bill escalated to such a figure.

He further claims that no detailed breakdown of the charges has been provided to him.

Legal and ethical questions raised

The incident has raised serious questions about whether hospitals are legally allowed to restrict a patient’s movement over unpaid medical bills, particularly once the patient has been medically discharged.

It has also renewed concerns about the treatment of foreign nationals in South Africa’s public healthcare system, with some questioning whether non-citizens face stricter or more punitive billing practices.

Patient rights advocates warn that detaining patients over debt may amount to coercion, especially when individuals are pressured into payment agreements they may not be able to afford.

Hospital yet to respond

The South African has made attempts to obtain comment from Moses Kotane Hospital regarding the allegations and the policies governing patient discharge and billing.

At the time of publication, no formal response had been received.

This remains a developing story.