The Eastern Cape Department of Health has denied that the acting district manager for Nelson Mandela Bay’s clinics and the Uitenhage Provincial Hospital was removed from her position because she had exposed a scam at the hospital, saying it would not “silence a person who means good”.
Sonia Lupondwana told Daily Maverick she was being “silenced” because she blew the whistle on a scam at the hospital, where, she alleges, officials were running a private hospital for payment using resources from the Department of Health.
However, her claims were denied by department’s spokesperson Siyanda Manana. He confirmed the existence of a rogue private hospital operating within the hospital, but said that staff, not Lupondwana, had leaked the info to the department.
“We are investigating. If we were to silence a person who means good, it would mean we are part of the corruption,” he said.
HoD Dr Rolene Wagner wrote to Lupondwana to tell her she had instituted an investigation into the issues raised by her, and that she would be reassigned as the director of primary healthcare, a position that reports to the district manager.
Before this, staff at the district health office had lodged a litany of complaints against Lupondwana at the provincial legislature in an unsuccessful attempt to have her removed.
The allegations included that Lupondwana failed to act during a life-threatening strike at the Uitenhage Provincial Hospital this month, during which Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health became involved in an attempt to restore services at the facility.
Lupondwana said she failed to intervene because she had been “suffering from raised blood pressure” and could not deal with an emotionally charged issue like the strike.
In a letter to Wagner, Lupondwana alleged that road accident files at the hospital were sold for R600 each, that car tyres were bought for private individuals using the hospital’s budget, and that parts of the hospital were run as a private hospital using state resources.
She said she had to handle the strike without assistance.
Manana said Lupondwana had been appointed to her position pending a review of the department’s organisational structure.
“Her moving to her substantive post as director for primary healthcare is standard administrative practice and does not amount to a suspension or punitive action,” he said.
He added that the department was unable to “comment in detail on the ongoing internal processes”, but that no disciplinary action has been instituted against Lupondwana.
“Any internal preliminary assessments or investigations do not equate to formal disciplinary action.
“Should formal processes be initiated, due process will be followed and the employee concerned will be informed accordingly.”
Lupondwana said she had obtained a court order for her to be appointed as the district health manager, and that only the MEC, Ntandokazi Capa, could remove her.
She said she would consider going back to court to be reinstated.
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