Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba said she would not apologize for being stern with clinic staff after another video surfaced on social media.
Speaking to TV news channel eNCA about the viral video, the MEC said there was nothing wrong with the approach taken when he visited the Rethabile Clinic in Polokwane.
Dr. Ramathuba reprimanded the clinic manager
In the viral video, Ramathuba can be heard admonishing senior managers at the Rethabile Clinic for being idle or unavailable while patients wait in long queues.
“Wena, especially as a supervisor, I expect that if there is a disaster, you should be sitting here working,” he told the woman who appeared annoyed in the video with him.
“If there’s a disaster, I can’t take leave,” he added before reminding the woman that she said the president had recently canceled his own trip to the World Economic Forum because of load shedding issues.
In addition to the problem of managers sitting idle while patients wait in line, it was reported that security guards at the same clinic were selling face masks to patients.
Also read: You will be sacked!’- Limpopo MEC goes after guards for allegedly selling state masks
Speaking to eNCA, Dr Ramathuba said he was driven by the belief that service delivery should always be prioritized.
The Health MEC also highlighted his past as a hospital manager in an attempt to explain his style of conduct based on his knowledge of how health facilities work.
“I can always walk in and not wait for a meeting to ask questions because when you go into the boardroom and start asking questions, you’re not telling the truth.”
Dr Ramathuba then used the situation at the Rethabile Clinic as an example where staff lied to him about why he was taking so long to do work and how his claims were contradicted by evidence provided by waiting patients.
Reactions to the Rethabile Clinic video
Public opinion on the Rethabile Clinic video featuring Dr Ramathuba is divided between those who support his methods and those who reject his approach as a desperate move to gain attention to increase publicity.
“If you are a good leader, you will not shout in public. This woman is worse but many will not see it,” tweeted @Thatiley.
“It’s the same way with sick people in clinics, let’s try our own medicine, labor laws and professionalism have to wait until we can do it right,” tweeted @GershomMayana before adding, “And the people who same.those who see Dr Phophi wrong by giving correction never go to public hospital, he just take medical fund from comfort zone.
“People always complain about the health of civil servants to the public, shout at patients, some come to punish them, they said [they say] she loves attention,” said @SimkaLiya.
READ MORE: ‘I stand by my word’: Limpopo Health MEC says SADC countries must pay their citizens
Compiled by Kaunda Selisho