Faizel Patel – 19/06/2020
Professor and president of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Glenda Gray says she believes Professor Ebrahim Variava was placed on precautionary suspension because he spoke out about how to treat COVID-19 patients.
North West Health MEC Madoda Sambatha without warning announced Variava’s suspension from his post as the specialist for internal medicine at the Klerskdorp-Tshepong Hospital Complex.
Sambatha says he suspended Variava because of ‘serious allegations’ leveled against him.
Speaking to Radio Islam, Professor Gray says she is impressed by Variava’s integrity, honesty and passion to look after patients and the poor.
“He consulted widely with the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) who agreed to pay for the tests and agreed with his strategy and concurred with him. So Dr. Variawa only had the best interest of patient at heart when he analyses and when he did the investigation in terms of a COVID exposure.”
Professor Gray says Professor Variava is a patient advocate speaking out for the rural poor and injustice.
“I am sure that if you are a doctor who’s always speaking out about things that are going wrong in your hospital and things that are not done right, you will get the ire of the North West medical department.”
Professor Gray they have consulted with former vice-chancellor of Wits University Adam Habib and labour lawyers among others to try to intervene to get Professor Variava reinstated at the hospital.
Listen to the interview with Professor Glenda Gray
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