Zanu-PF ‘has destroyed Zim’s healthcare system’, says journalist Chin’ono as he weighs in on Ramathuba’s viral video

Dr Phophi Ramathuba

Cape Town – International journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has weighed in after a video surfaced on social media showing South Africa’s Limpopo health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba addressing a Zimbabwean patient seeking help at a hospital in Bela Bela.

In the video, Ramathuba could be seen telling the patient awaiting surgery that she should be charged for the medical treatment she was receiving at the public hospital.

The video caused quite a stir, with the oppositionEconomic Freedom Fighters (EFF) calling for the MEC to be fired for unethical conduct.

“We call for the removal of Ramathuba as an MEC, as she clearly violated the integrity of a patient and undermined the Hippocratic Oath, by causing intentional harm and humiliation to a patient. She is unfit to hold that office and must be released to practice her hatred of African people outside of the levers of state power,” said EFF in a statement.


The South African health department has since acknowledged the challenges raised by the MEC and revealed in a statement that the issue was one of the subjects discussed during bilateral and multilateral meetings at SADC level to find a long-lasting solution.

“Although, the department doesn’t have full context of the video conversation between the MEC and the patient, which make it difficult to make conclusion. We acknowledge that the public healthcare system is struggling in some areas to meet the healthcare needs of the citizens and reduce the backlogs due to unpredictably high number of undocumented migrants from neighbouring countries seeking healthcare service in the country, other than the asylum-seekers and refugees.

“This issue is one of the subjects that are discussed during bilateral and multilateral meetings at SADC level in order to find a long lasting solution.

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“Limpopo Province is one of the affected provinces, and despite these challenges, the healthcare workers must ensure that they maintain high moral obligation and standards in their work in line with the Hippocratic Oath, together with the National Health Act and the Refugee Act of South Africa,” the department said.

However, Chin’ono didn’t mince his words when he said that the Zimbabwe government was the one that breached ethics, as it failed to honour the oath of office to provide healthcare to all citizens.

Speaking during an interview with the SABCNews, Chin’ono  said that the people that had destroyed Zimbabwe’s healthcare system were the ruling Zanu-PF.

“What I can say is that what we saw in that video is a direct consequence of the misgovernance in Zimbabwe.

“I have said time and time again, I was sent to prison in 2020 for exposing corruption which involved the looting of public funds meant for public health,” said Chin’ono.

Meanwhile, the South African Medical Association chief executive, Dr Vusumuzi Nhlapho argued that the MEC was aware of appropriate channels where such issues could be raised, reported IOL.

“Additionally, the MEC has a duty and responsibility to comply with the ethical conduct befitting a healthcare professional who took an oath which clearly states “first do no harm”. The Health Professions Council of South Africa’s ethical guidelines and the SAMA Pledge solemnise all doctors to a duty of care, respecting the dignity of the patient and fostering the noble traditions of the medical profession without prejudice, which in this instance appear to have been contravened,” the report quoted Dr Nhlapho as saying.

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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe 

 

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