Procedures prohibit good customer service

Staff at contact centre is very courteous and friendly, but their procedures prohibit good service. My father-in-law is the main member on the medical aid. After joining the medical aid and while waiting the three months prescribed (as he did not belong to a medical aid before) he fell and hurt his neck. After several doctors appointments (for which we had to pay cash) the doctor scheduled a procedure to correct a nerve. We completed the application for pre-authorisation to which we get the standard "pending" response, but after 3 days of waiting I contacted the call centre only to be told the matter is 'under investigation' and they are unable to indicate how long the investigation might take? Meanwhile, the main member who is paying an insane membership fee, must suffer (physically suffer) while they cannot tell me how long the investigation will take?? I hear this prompt that Medihelp was selected as the 'highest rated' medical aid scheme in 2018, please live up to this reputation...