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'Sidelined' National Health DG leaves by 'mutual agreement'

National Health Department director-general Malebona Precious Matsoso, who last year complained that she had been "completely sidelined" over the NHI Bill, by has left by "mutual agreement".

She served as the department's DG from 2010, having previously worked for the World Health Organisation where she was director of public health innovation and intellectual property.

According to a Business Day report, the department said that Matsoso left the department effective 1 November after she and health minister Zweli Mkhize came to a mutual agreement. The department said she asked to leave the department early to pursue her PhD studies. Her contract would have ended in May 2020.

The report says in November 2018, in a hard-hitting interview, Matsoso said she had been completely side-lined by presidential adviser Olive Shisana and Motsoaledi in revising the controversial draft National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill. The draft bill proposed far-reaching reforms to South Africa’s health system to achieve the government’s ambition of providing universal health coverage.

[link url="https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/2019-11-01-respected-health-director-general-resigns/?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Taste+Holdings+gives+up+on+Starbucks+amid+focus+on+luxury+goods+%7C+Manufacturing+sentiment+improved+in+October+%7C+Gupta%E2%80%99s+Koornfontein+coal+mine+sells+for+R300m&utm_term=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.businesslive.co.za%2Fbd%2Fnational%2F2019-11-01-respected-health-director-general-resigns%2F"]Business Day report[/link]

[link url="https://www.politicsweb.co.za/politics/directorgeneral-of-health-leaves-dept-of-health"]Full statement on Politicsweb[/link]

See also

[link url="https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/rush-put-secret-nhi-bill-cabinet-dg-sidelined/"]Rush to put ‘secret’ NHI Bill before Cabinet after DG is sidelined[/link]

[link url="https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/health-dept-treasury-battle-behind-scenes-nhi-bill/"]Health Dept and Treasury battle behind the scenes over NHI Bill[/link]

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