News24 reports that the Gauteng health department advised on Friday that a doctor who blew the whistle on the state of the province's healthcare facilities was back at work.
Paediatrician Dr Tim de Maayer was placed on precautionary suspension after he wrote an open letter to the Gauteng health department, stating that the "horrendous conditions in our public hospitals" were contributing to children's deaths. Some of the concerns raised by De Maayer included that generators were inadequately sized to supply the hospital during load shedding, water cuts led to the spread of infections, and that the state of toilets at the hospital was shocking. At the time, the department said the "Gauteng health system remains intact and continues to service millions of patients". De Maayer's suspension was lifted after Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi met with him, the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital CEO Dr Nozuko Mkabayi and the head of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at the facility, Professor Ashraf Coovadia. In a statement on Friday, the department said the management team of Rahima Moosa had agreed to work together to continue to address the issues raised by de Maayer. MMC for health and social development, Ashley Sauls, said he had seen the "poor conditions" of the hospital first-hand when he visited the facility. "We cannot live in a world where pointing out flaws exposing inhumane conditions by good people are met with unjust punishment. This hospital is dealing with humanitarian issues, and these issues need to be known and need to be addressed publicly and honestly for the thousands of people making use of this facility, he stated.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Iavan Pijoos at News24
- Read too, Gauteng health department says it will address appalling conditions at facilities, at EWN
- En ook, Menseregtekommissie sal hospitaal besoek waar pediater geskors is, by Maroela Media
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