A petition has been put up on social media, pending the suspension of Dr Tim de Maayer, a pediatrician who wrote an open letter to the health department, expressing his disappointment in the department on conditions he gets to witness and come across in public hospital.

Sign in support for the immediate reversal of a frankly idiotic decision. https://t.co/cIfKQOzDts

— Shabir Madhi (@ShabirMadh) June 9, 2022

Over 10,000 signatures have been put up on the petition already signed to  to withdraw De Maayer’s suspension. The public is calling the suspension typical of the South African government to punish a whistleblower who is well within their right to voice out their opinion. Nomathemba Mokgethi, MEC of Gauteng Health, said she is in communication with the  management of Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, pending the suspension of Dr de Maayer who spoke out about “horrendous” conditions at public hospitals.

Spokesperson for the Health MEC, Kwara Kekana said they acknowledge the challenges in the system: “The MEC will be engaging with hospital management and other parties concerned on the matter. The Gauteng Department of Health once again acknowledges the issues previously raised by Dr De Maayer. The department concedes that there are challenges within the health system in the province and in the country in general which require multifaceted interventions. The Department of Health in Gauteng remains committed to tackling these challenges while continuing to render services to millions of patients annually.”