Johannesburg - Dr Tim De Maayer is back at work following his precautionary suspension this after Gauteng Health MEC held a meeting to intervene at the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child hospital on Friday.
De Maayer's suspension came after he wrote a critical open letter last month to the hospital and the department of health in the province about the awful state of affairs at the hospital.
The letter came following the death of a 13-year-old patient whom he treated for years at the hospital, and other unfortunate situations that parents and children go through due to the state of the hospitals.
“I wish you could be there to see the pain and grief that these parents and their families go through. Children are dying and the horrendous conditions in our public hospitals are contributing to their deaths”.
“I wish you could come to our unit and see doctors trying to intubate children and administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation by their mobile phone’s torch, as the power has failed … again… Or the cold neonate whose incubator went off with the loss of power (from load shedding) and did not keep him warm.” reads de Maayer's open letter in part.
Health MEC Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi met with all parties to conduct what she describes as a fruitful meeting with CEO Dr Nozuko Mkabayi, Head of Department of Paediatrics and Child health Prof Ashraf Coovadia and Dr Maayer and Paediatric Gastroenterologist Dr Tim De Maayer at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child hospital to engage about the unfair suspension of Dr Maayer following his open letter.
MEC Mokgethi said: “Dr Tim De Maayer is back at work, the management team of RHMMC has agreed to work together to continue to address the issues raised in Dr De Maayer’s article.”
MEC Mokgethi added “The Department remains committed to tackling challenges within the Gauteng Health System, while continuing to render services to millions of patients annually.”
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