ActionSA on Monday said it is hopeful that a criminal investigation against Discovery, Medscheme and GEMS will expose the “deep-seated rot” in the health sector, as it seeks to root out criminality and discriminatory practices that undermine South Africa’s constitutional democracy.

ActionSA MP and Health Portfolio Committee member Dr Kgosi Letlape lodged criminal complaints against the medical aid schemes over allegations of fraud, intimidation, and other criminal conduct that is alleged to have persisted for several years.

“Following the findings of the Section 59 Investigation, which found evidence of systemic and unfair racial discrimination by major medical schemes against black healthcare providers between 2012 and 2019, ActionSA is of the considered view that a broader investigation into the conduct of these schemes is both necessary and overdue,” he explained.

Letlape pointed out that these materials, which the party cannot obtain independently, are essential to uncovering the full extent of any wrongdoing and ensuring that those implicated are held to account, including both medical schemes and practitioners who may have engaged in criminal conduct.

ActionSA said Letlape’s decision to lodge the complaints came from information he was exposed to during his tenure as president of the Health Professions Council of South Africa, and more specifically through his role as chair of the Preliminary Committee of Inquiry for five years and Chair of the Medical and Dental Board for six years.

“During this time, he was privy to various investigations and disciplinary proceedings involving conduct by medical aid schemes that may have crossed into criminality,” the party said.