Cash Send request at hospital – but no invoice?

[letter to the editor, Platinum Weekly newspaper, Rustenburg]

Dear Editor,

On Saturday, 19 September 2026, I took my child to a hospital in Rustenburg after struggling for several days to bring down his fever.

As a worried mother, I was frightened and at my wits’ end. I had paid the hospital account, including the Ampath blood tests, when a hospital employee unexpectedly told me that I needed to pay an additional amount for further blood tests.

When I explained that I had already paid, he said these were additional tests and that the relevant department was closed. He then asked me to make the payment via Cash Send.

This immediately raised alarm bells. I was not given an invoice, account number or any paperwork reflecting either my name or my child’s name. I could not understand why payment for tests performed through a hospital would have to be made via Cash Send.

I approached another nurse and explained what had happened. She agreed that the request sounded highly unusual and indicated that she did not trust it either.

I cannot say with certainty what the employee’s intentions were, but I would like to warn other patients and parents: please be extremely cautious if anyone at a medical facility asks you to pay through an unofficial channel such as Cash Send.

The fact that someone is wearing a uniform and appears to be a legitimate staff member does not mean that you should make a payment without proper documentation.

Insist on an official invoice containing the patient’s details, verify the payment directly with the hospital’s accounts department and obtain a receipt. When families are frightened and worried about a sick child, they are particularly vulnerable and should not be placed in a situation like this.

I sincerely hope the hospital investigates this matter and ensures that patients are clearly informed about legitimate payment procedures.

Concerned Mother