Schabir Shaik's lengthy stay in a private hospital could come to an end this week.

Minister of Correctional Services Ngconde Balfour is expected to make a decision to determine the fate of the convicted fraudster.

A spokesman for the ministry, Luphumzo Kebeni, said yesterday that the minister had delegated specialists to formulate a second opinion on Shaik's health status.

He said Shaik's private doctors would also be formalising reports to the ministry.

Judge Nathan Erasmus of the judicial inspectorate of prisons received the latest report on Shaik's condition on Friday but was not able to comment on the contents.

The investigation comes after a public outcry and criticism was levelled at the department for not taking steps to as-certain the reasons behind Shaik's lengthy hospitalisation.

Shaik was admitted to Durban's St Augustine's Hospital last November after he suffered high blood pressure and chest pains. He had served just 16 days of his 15-year sentence.

In December, he underwent an angiogram and his cardiologist was quoted as saying that his blood pressure was "sky-high" and that he faced a serious cardiac problem.

However, a Sunday newspaper reported that Discovery Health medical scheme was investigating all Shaik's claims.

The report claimed that the cost of Shaik's hospital bed alone totalled R150 000.

The article claimed that the medical aid had withdrawn its authorisation with the intention of reviewing Shaik's entire admission.

Shaik is a dependant on his wife Zuleika's medical aid.

With acknowledgement to Cape Argus.