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The South African Medical Association (SAMA) condemns the precautionary suspension of Dr Tim de Maayer of Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital
The South African Medical Association (SAMA) condemns in the strongest possible terms the precautionary suspension by the Gauteng Department of Health of Dr Tim de Maayer from the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital. Dr De Maayer was suspended after criticizing the state of healthcare provided to children at the hospital.
The decision to suspend Dr De Maayer is shockingly inappropriate and threatens to curb the legitimate raising of concerns regarding conditions at state run facilities by doctors who have taken an oath to put their patients’ needs first.
Doctors are entitled to voice their concerns about conditions and are, in fact, duty bound to do so. It notes that the Department’s kneejerk reaction to suspend Dr De Maayer is an attempt to suppress the truth about the appalling conditions not only at Rahima Moosa, but other public hospitals.
Whatever legal reasons the Department thinks it has for suspending Dr De Maayer, the decision is a poor one, and reflects badly on the provincial health administration. The result of this decision will be to further alienate doctors in the public sector and will, undoubtedly, lead to more medical professionals emigrating.
Doctors in the public service continue to be prejudiced and treated badly by administrators and cites this instance involving Dr De Maayer, and that of Dr Daniel Sithole in Limpopo as examples. Dr Sithole was suspended by provincial authorities following accusations of misconduct against him. A Task Team found no basis for the allegations against him and despite a High Court ruling ordering his suspension be lifted, he is still being denied entry back into the facility where he works.
These two cases point to a concerted campaign by health departments to muzzle critics and prevent the truth about the conditions at their hospitals from reaching the public. We would advise these departments to rather focus on correcting the important issues raised by doctors than with dealing with the doctors themselves. Expending energy on silencing voices that highlight poor conditions does nothing to improve those conditions. In the end patients suffer but, it seems, provincial departments of health are less concerned about this, and more concerned about following procedure, and protecting their images.
[ENDS]
Notes to Editors
About SAMA The South African Medical Association was formally constituted on 21 May 1998 as a unification of a variety of doctors’ groups that had represented a diversity of interests. SAMA is a non-statutory, professional association for public, and private sector medical practitioners. SAMA is a voluntary membership association, existing to serve the best interests and needs of its members in any and all healthcare related matters.
Contact:
SAMA CEO
Dr Vusumuzi Nhlapho
079 033 8330 Email:
vusumuzin@samedical.org
Spokesperson 1
Chairperson: SAMA
Dr M Mzukwa
076 382 8152
Email: mzukwam@gmail.com
Spokesperson 2
Vice-Chairperson: SAMA
Dr Edward Ngwenya
Email:ngwenyare@gmail.com
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