DA's attention-seeking tactics, paucity of ideas becoming too predictable; KZN Health has already taken urgent and stringent action on St Mary's Hospital Matter

20 February 2020

KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Ms Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu has rejected unnecessary and over-the-top antics by the DA’s Rishigan Veerana that led to him being barred from entering St Mary’s Hospital earlier today.

The MEC is challenging Veerana to produce evidence that he sent a request for the oversight visit, which she did not even know about.

The fracas follows an adverse incident at the hospital at the weekend, in which nurses reportedly failed to assist a woman who was six months pregnant.

Her prematurely-born baby eventually passed away shortly afterwards. While the mother had been extensively counselled and already understood the baby’s poor prognosis before going into labour, she did, however, express her grievance with the attitude of staff when she needed their help.

Following this incident, the Department immediately placed two nurses on special leave, which was followed by their suspension pending completion of an internal formal investigation.

MEC Simelane-Zulu says the Department’s decisive and swift action on the matter is adequate proof that it will not tolerate the mistreatment of patients, and serves as a deterrent to other healthcare professionals.

Given this then, MEC Simelane-Zulu says there is no need for the hospital to be turned into a platform to score political points.

"Hospitals are very sensitive and private spaces. You cannot just come in guns blazing, in an uncontrolled manner, with TV cameras in tow, and risk compromising patients' rights to dignity and privacy. MPL Veerana sits in the health portfolio committee. In fact, I was with him in a meeting on Tuesday, and he did not raise the matter of the hospital visit. Why was that? He must produce proof that he asked me for the visit."

This matter is being dealt with through our internal channels, which function very well. We have full confidence in the integrity of the investigation, and that if any people are found guilty of misconduct, they will face the consequences. If the DA wants to use our facilities to acquire fame, they will not succeed. We have no problem with genuine requests for oversight, but we will not be abused for cheap political point-scoring. They have tried this before. It is becoming too predictable, and is a sign of a paucity of ideas on their part, to find relevance. It will not come at our expense."

Issued on behalf of KZN Health MEC Ms Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu