Three nurses from Appelsbosch Hospital near Ndwedwe, about 60km north of Durban, are under investigation for allegedly taking out multiple funeral policies on a 24-year-old patient and claiming payouts after his death.

The family says the scheme emerged when insurers flagged suspicious claims totalling more than R160 000 and discovered that the patient’s medical file had gone missing.

The nurses resigned after being confronted. The Kwazulu-Natal Health Department has handed the case to law enforcement, while nursing unions say they will not defend members implicated in criminal conduct. The victim’s family is pushing for full criminal charges and a detailed departmental report.