The South African Medical Association (SAMA) says it has requested Health Minister Zweli Mkhize to intervene in a dispute with the Limpopo Health Department over the forced quarantine of two doctors who tested positive for the coronavirus.
SAMA alleges that the two doctors were forced into isolation at the Modimolle quarantine site when they had the means to self-isolate safely at home.
The two doctors were allegedly placed in isolation on Thursday on the instructions of Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba.
The South African Medical Association and the Limpopo Health Department are at loggerheads, following the alleged forced isolation of two doctors. The two doctors were allegedly placed in isolation on Thursday on the instructions of Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba. #sabcnews
— SAfm news (@SAfmnews) April 4, 2020
SAMA chairperson Angelique Coetzee says they have lodged an urgent court application for an interdict. Coetzee says the provincial health department is not adhering to the guidelines set out by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (ICD) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“This now needs to be proven in court because there’s a court case now going on an urgent interdict is being asked. To say that each and everyone who’s now tested positive must now go into a state facility; you know it’s an absolute misuse of resources. The patient who needs to go into a state facility is the patient who is living in a shack the patient who doesn’t have any means of self-isolating they are the priority patients.”
In the audio below, the Limpopo Department of Health has raised concerns against the South African Medical Doctors Association’s open later to address the issue of the two doctors who tested positive for COVID-19.
Open letter by the South African Medical Doctors Association:
Open Letter to: 2
Dr PC Ramathuba,
MEC for Health,
Limpopo Province,
Republic of South Africa: April 2020https://t.co/UceXFn5flq
Forced isolation in the Modimolle MDR-TB Hospital for two doctors tested positive for COVID-19 in Limpopo pic.twitter.com/4DnhzqWl36— SAMA (@SAMedicalAssoc) April 2, 2020
