Gauteng health MEC Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi has arranged to meet the management of the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital following the suspension of a doctor who spoke out about the dire state of the hospital.
Dr Tim de Maayer, a practising pediatrician at the hospital, is serving a suspension for writing a letter to management complaining about the injustices and deteriorating quality of services at the health facility.
He was barred from entering the hospital premises, sparking an outcry from his colleagues and members of the public who hold him in high regard.
In a letter titled SA Hospitals: The Sickening Truth, De Maayer addresses a number of challenges that staff have to deal with.
It reads: “How do you manage to come to work everyday failing at your job of ensuring basic healthcare for the people you serve and still sleep at night? How about excluding the mother and child hospitals from your load-shedding schedule?
“I could go on, but I want to pose some questions to you: would you admit your own child to this hospital? Having worked in the public sector for 21 years, I can tell you frankly, things are falling apart.”
De Maayer touched on a number of issues including generators that were inadequately sized to supply the hospital with power when blackouts hit, and constant water cuts that lead to a spread of infections. The toilets are also in a deplorable state, he alleged.
Among other injustices, there have been numerous reports in the past few years of pregnant women having to sleep on the floor in the wards of the hospital.
Spokesperson for the provincial health department, Kwara Kekana, said the department acknowledged that there were challenges within the health system in the province and in the country in general, which required multifaceted interventions.
“Gauteng department of health remains committed to tackling these challenges while continuing to render services to millions of patients annually,” said Kekana.
“The department once again acknowledges the issue previously raised by Dr De Maayer and reiterates its position to put on record in the statement released on May 24 2022 about the issues at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital.”
On Friday, doctors at the hospital expressed their support for De Maayer by wearing black to work. They said his suspension can be felt the most by the patients, especially children, who desperately need his services everyday.
A petition demanding that the suspension be lifted has already garnered thousands of signatures.
On Thursday evening, Gauteng premier David Makhura told Maverick Citizen, an activist news and views platform dedicated to issues of social justice: “I’m waiting for the report from the MEC [of health] on this matter.
“I will never approve any act of intimidation or victimisation of professionals and workers who speak out where things are going wrong. We need more such people in the public service.”
#IstandwithDrTim pic.twitter.com/UiKFqABFGy
— Dr Gail Ashford (@drgail3) June 10, 2022
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