Durban clinic short of HIV and tuberculosis medicines
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily Maverick
The Usizo Lwethu Sibaya clinic in Durban is struggling to provide HIV and tuberculosis treatment to a growing number of foreign patients who have lost access to public healthcare. The Denis Hurley Centre says its monthly spending on medicines has risen tenfold, from 10,000 to about 100,000 rand, according to the Daily Maverick.
The Usizo Lwethu Sibaya clinic, run by the Denis Hurley Centre in Durban, is short of HIV and tuberculosis medicines and has had to turn some patients away, the Daily Maverick reports. Its director, Dr Rishigen Viranna, said he had sent away people who risk not receiving the treatment they need.
The clinic says the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health stopped supplying it with HIV and tuberculosis medicines in December 2025. At the same time, it is seeing more foreign patients who have lost access to public healthcare. Its spending on medicines has increased tenfold, from 10,000 to about 100,000 rand a month, but remains insufficient.
A survey of 294 patients over five weeks starting in July 2026 found 239 foreign nationals. Of the 184 who had tried to access public healthcare in the previous year, 92% said they had been prevented from doing so despite presenting documents. At least 72% of those prevented from collecting their medicines had documents proving their legal stay in South Africa.
The Daily Maverick reports that activists from the March and March movement and other anti-immigration groups have blocked access to public healthcare facilities since July 2025. Denis Hurley Centre operations director Leanne Banks described staff’s distress at seeing patients deprived of life-saving medicines.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
