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Limpopo Health Member of the Executive Council, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, has been found guilty of unprofessional conduct by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) for ranting at a bedridden Zimbabwean patient who had crossed into the neighbouring country to seek medical services.
Ramathuba came under fire last year after a video of her ranting about Zimbabwean migrants abusing the health resources in Limpopo went viral.
Ramathuba has been reprimanded for shouting at the patient in a Limpopo provincial hospital in August last year.
She was cited for unprofessional conduct and unbecoming behaviour.
Though Ramathuba was at the hospital in her capacity as a health MEC, and not a practising doctor, she is a medical doctor by profession.
Opposition Economic Freedom Fighters’ Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, in his capacity as the party’s Limpopo provincial convener, laid a complaint with the HPCSA against Ramathuba, accusing her of violating the dignity and human rights of the patient.
“This follows a disturbing video clip which is circulating on social media where she is seen belittling and abusing a Zimbabwean patient in Bela-Bela Hospital,” said Ndlozi.
“It is evident on the video that MEC Ramathuba has violated her core ethical values and standards for good practice as outlined by Health Professionals Council of South Africa,” he added and quoted the council’s set standards for healthcare practitioners.
These include respect for people: “healthcare practitioners should respect patients as people, and acknowledge their intrinsic worth, dignity, and sense of value”.
They also call on healthcare practitioners not to harm or act against the best interests of patients, even when the interests of the latter conflict with their own self-interest.
The standards require healthcare practitioners to recognise the human rights of all individuals and to be sensitive to, and empathise with, the individual and social needs of their patients and seek to create mechanisms for providing comfort and support where appropriate and possible.
“There is no doubt that the MEC has violated all the above-mentioned ethical values and standards. It is for this reason that the EFF calls upon the HPCSA to investigate her conduct and appropriate action be taken against her,” said Ndlozi.
In a video on social media, Ramathuba could be heard telling the patient that migrants were to blame for her department’s stretched budget.
Her words sparked a debate in the country and beyond, with some in support while others felt she was unfair on the patient.
The HPCSA’s first medical and dental committee resolved last month that there was evidence of unprofessional conduct on Ramathuba in terms of the regulations under the Health Professions Act.
In a report, the council said it would “impose as a penalty a caution and reprimand” on Ramathuba “for unprofessional behaviour and unbecoming [conduct] of a medical professional [for] shouting at a patient’s bedside as the patient was vulnerable at the time”.
Some have expressed disappointment at the HPCSA for giving Ramathuba what amounts to a slap on the wrist.
Marlise Richter from the Health Justice Initiative said while she welcomed the ruling on what she described as the MEC’s xenophobic, hostile and disrespectful behaviour, the sanction was a “limp” one.
“A temporary suspension, removal from the HPCSA register, a fine or compulsory professional service would have been more appropriate in these circumstances, as provided for by the Health Professions Act,” she explained. — Agencies
Richter added that Ramathuba should not be holding public office and, as a public servant and leader in government, she should also face disciplinary action from her employers.
“I commend the members of the public who lodged the complaint with the HPCSA and encourage everyone who has experienced or seen instances of xenophobia to immediately report it to the relevant authorities or oversight bodies,” she said.
Dale McKinley from Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia expressed similar sentiments.
“We welcome the censure; I think it is important that health professionals understand that when they do this kind of thing, they do face some kind of consequence. However, from our side, we would have preferred that there be more sanctions, other than just a simple reprimand,” he said.
McKinley said Ramathuba’s xenophobic behaviour was unacceptable.
“We are disappointed that the HPCSA didn’t say anything about that, but we hope this sends out a warning to other health professionals or those who have abdicated their professional duties in treating everyone equally,” he added. – Agencies
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