Dozens of disability grant applicants in the Limpopo province have complained that doctors unfairly disqualified them from accessing the state welfare grant.
A patient living with a mental illness is unable to access a disability social grant because of his long history with dagga.
The family of the 48-year-old man from Davha village outside Thohoyandou said their uncle’s application for a monthly R2,180 was declined.
This was after a medical doctor insinuated that the applicant could be hallucinating, said the family.
Doctor unfairly diagnosed hallucinations
The man is among dozens of disability grant applicants in the province who have complained to Sunday World about the matter. They said doctors disqualified them from accessing the relief funds from the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa).
The patient, whose family preferred that he remains anonymous, is said to have schizophrenic episodes. He could turn violent unprovoked.
His niece acknowledged that her uncle used to indulge in marijuana some years ago. But she said he has since stopped after he was baptised at a church. The church forbids its members from smoking and alcohol consumption.
The niece said: “We went to the Sassa offices in September 2022 for the first application. The doctor remembered my uncle from his youth days. He was quick to draw his conclusion from that track record.
Recommended rehabilitation
“Despite several attempts to convince the doctor that my uncle was mentally ill, he was just not interested. We were left stranded after he told us that we should take my uncle to a rehabilitation centre instead.”
Selaelo Makgato, of the South African National Association for the Blind and Partially Sighted Person, gave details. He said there are many complications regarding being approved for social grants and disability funding.
Makgato is also director of special programmes in the Limpopo Office of the premier. He said there is a legal document from Sassa that states that not all people with disabilities can qualify for a disability grant.
“There are those that are disabled but can still qualify to work. The next thing is that people with mental illnesses are not suitable to be assessed by medical practitioners.
“The most controversial issue is that mentally ill applicants could only be assessed by psychologist or psychiatrist.
“A medical practitioner who is qualified to tell whether one is disabled or not is just trying his luck.
GP medics unqualified to diagnose mental patients
“Sassa has developed ways of appealing … against discriminatory practices. It looks like many people with disabilities are not knowledgeable about those ways,” said Makgato.
Nicky Mamonyane, 53, from Sekhukhune, said his disability grant was discontinued for no valid reason.
Mamonyane said the assessment method used by the doctor was suspicious and unsatisfactory.
“I was told to stand on one leg but I couldn’t because I have been limping for many years. The doctor …saw that I was struggling. However, he was still not convinced that my left leg was critically fractured,” he said.
“I sustained this injury two years ago when I fell from the rooftop of the house I was repairing.
“Since that horrific accident, I haven’t been able to do any odd jobs. I applied for the disability grant and eventually the grant was approved.
“…The grant was stopped in January. Despite several attempts to appeal the verdict, I have been unsuccessful.”
Sewela Mogashoa said her several attempts to receive a disability grant have drawn blanks.
The 43-year-old single mother of three said she applied for the grant due to her arthritic condition. However, she was told to go and look for a job.
“The doctor who assessed me at Ga-Mashashane looked at me and concluded that I was fit to work. That there was no need for me to receive the disability grant,” she said.
“While it is difficult to find a job in our province, Sassa is not making things easy with these suspicious doctors. How does a doctor assess a patient without using medical apparatus? Just using a naked eye? When you appeal the verdict, there is still no positive outcome,” she said.
Generally unfair evaluations on the increase
South African citizens who meet the legal requirement and medical assessment for disability qualify for Sassa. They qualify for a monthly grant of R2,180. However, there are several complaints or unfair evaluations.
Sassa spokesperson in Limpopo, Reggy Sethosa, explained the assessments. He said the doctors assigned by the agency to assess deserving beneficiaries operate under stipulated guidelines.
“Our doctors use various methods to determine the extent of the health status of the patient.
“In some instances, doctors would recommend that patients be placed under medical treatment. This will be for healing purposes so that they would be in a position to work. However, those who feel that their assessments were not satisfactory can lodge appeals at our tribunal,” said Sethosa.
