Dear Editor
The DA will request that the Gauteng MEC for Health, Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi, and the CEO of the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, Nozuko Mkabayi, explain the suspension of Dr Tim De Maayer to the parliamentary portfolio committee on health as a matter of urgency.
Dr De Maayer bravely exposed the horrendous conditions at the Rahima Moosa hospital, and for his courage and care he was victimised and thrown to the wolves – a concerning trend with whistleblowers in South Africa.
The DA notes that the chairperson of the portfolio committee, Dr Kenneth Leonard Jacobs, never acknowledged or responded to our letter asking that Dr De Maayer be invited to share his experiences at the Rahima Moosa hospital.
It is extremely concerning that instead of addressing the serious issues regarding negligence and failures in the health system Dr De Maayer highlighted in his open letter nearly two weeks ago, the CEO and Gauteng Department of Health chose to target and suspend the only paediatric gastroenterologist at the Rahima Moosa hospital, thereby endangering the lives of his patients and increasing the work load of his already overburdened colleagues.
Dr De Maayer’s case could be a troubling indication of things to come should the ANC government push through their reckless National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill that is sure to put tremendous strain on an already failing public health care system and depriving South Africans the right to choose their health care. The ANC government has always chosen self-interest over the people of South Africa, and Dr De Maayer’s suspension is prove that this attitude has indeed trickled down.
More than 25 000 people have already signed a petition urging for Dr De Maayer’s suspension to be lifted. The DA supports this call and urges MEC Mokgethi to do the right thing – reinstate Dr De Maayer and decisively address his claims. Children should not be denied quality health care because the Gauteng Department of Health and the CEO of the Rahima Moosa hospital’s ineptitude have been exposed.
Regards
Michele Clarke MP
DA Shadow Minister of Health
