The men's health clinic where I got my ARVs closed due to USAID fund cuts. How can I get my medical records for my new doctor?

The long answer

Some ARV and PrEP programmes are managed by organisations that are still operating, even though they had to stop the programmes. 

For example, in a message to clients and the community on 31 March 2025, Dawie Nel, executive director of OUT LGBT Well-being, said that although Engage Men’s Health had come to an end with the freezing of the PEPFAR funds by the US government, OUT LGBT Well-being would remain open. He said that in the coming months, they would refocus their work and explore new ways to continue serving their community.

If the place where you were receiving treatment forms part of a larger organisation, it may be worth trying to contact that organisation to ask if they can assist you. 

If you are not successful, you could ask the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) for guidance on accessing records. These are their contact details: 

• Email: [email protected]

Tel: 012 338 9300

Address: 553 Madiba Street, Arcadia, Pretoria

You could also contact the Department of Health in Gauteng for help to access your medical records and state funding:

• General Enquiries: 011 355 3000

Main Address: 37 Sauer Street, Bank of Lisbon, Marshall Town, 2147

It is your constitutional right to access your medical records: the National Health Act mandates that patients have the right to access their own health records, while the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA) outlines the process for requesting and obtaining these records from both public and private healthcare facilities. 

Wishing you the best,
Athalie