Paul Jacobson

Life and its many opportunities

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Our Health Minister a “drunk and a thief”

This last week’s legal proceedings against The Sunday Times were probably worth the hassle and the cost. I have just read the paper’s article which labels our Health Minister a “drunk and a thief” and recounts how she was kicked out of Botswana in the 1970s for repeatedly stealing from patients in the Athlone Hospital in Botswana where she was a medical superintendant and how she has been violating liver transplant protocol by continuing to drink alcohol after she received a rare liver recently. Her own liver was reportedly damaged by “auto-immune hepatitis” and it has since been revealed that our Minister was an “alcoholic” and had the standard selection process been applied in this case, she would not have been given the liver she ultimately received. There is more in the article itself.

My question, again, is whether Manto should remain our Health Minister if these allegations are true as The Sunday Times contends? The President has publicly backed her and her reputation and I wonder if the prudent course of action isn’t to at least investigate the allegations and make a determination whether she ought to continue to lead South African health policy when she herself flouts it?

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  1. Radagast the Brown avatar
    Radagast the Brown

    I have no doubt that the Sunday Times would have investigated to establish at least whether their claims had some basis in fact – the risks would be too great to publish elsewise. It can’t be difficult to establish the facts in the Botswana allegations – if she was found guilty in a court of law, that record would be available. The question ought then to have arisen – when she was appointed – whether she disclosed her criminal record. If not, she’s guilty of fraud and should be summarily dismissed. If she did, other (political) questions arise as to her suitability for the appointment, but the fault there would lay with whomever did the appointing.

    On the alcohol claims – given that the ST is in possession of her medical records, one can again assume that such claims are based on evidence. If I was the parent of the teenage liver donor, I’d be outraged at this waste of my son’s organs, and would be calling publicly for tighter control of the organ transplant process.

    As it stands, when I heard she’d originally been given a liver transplant, I tore up my organ donor card and rescinded my “living will” and made it known publicly why I was doing so.

    Reply
  2. Radagast the Brown avatar
    Radagast the Brown

    I have no doubt that the Sunday Times would have investigated to establish at least whether their claims had some basis in fact – the risks would be too great to publish elsewise. It can’t be difficult to establish the facts in the Botswana allegations – if she was found guilty in a court of law, that record would be available. The question ought then to have arisen – when she was appointed – whether she disclosed her criminal record. If not, she’s guilty of fraud and should be summarily dismissed. If she did, other (political) questions arise as to her suitability for the appointment, but the fault there would lay with whomever did the appointing.

    On the alcohol claims – given that the ST is in possession of her medical records, one can again assume that such claims are based on evidence. If I was the parent of the teenage liver donor, I’d be outraged at this waste of my son’s organs, and would be calling publicly for tighter control of the organ transplant process.

    As it stands, when I heard she’d originally been given a liver transplant, I tore up my organ donor card and rescinded my “living will” and made it known publicly why I was doing so.

    Reply
  3. Radagast the Brown avatar
    Radagast the Brown

    I have no doubt that the Sunday Times would have investigated to establish at least whether their claims had some basis in fact – the risks would be too great to publish elsewise. It can’t be difficult to establish the facts in the Botswana allegations – if she was found guilty in a court of law, that record would be available. The question ought then to have arisen – when she was appointed – whether she disclosed her criminal record. If not, she’s guilty of fraud and should be summarily dismissed. If she did, other (political) questions arise as to her suitability for the appointment, but the fault there would lay with whomever did the appointing.

    On the alcohol claims – given that the ST is in possession of her medical records, one can again assume that such claims are based on evidence. If I was the parent of the teenage liver donor, I’d be outraged at this waste of my son’s organs, and would be calling publicly for tighter control of the organ transplant process.

    As it stands, when I heard she’d originally been given a liver transplant, I tore up my organ donor card and rescinded my “living will” and made it known publicly why I was doing so.

    Reply
  4. Radagast the Brown avatar
    Radagast the Brown

    I have no doubt that the Sunday Times would have investigated to establish at least whether their claims had some basis in fact – the risks would be too great to publish elsewise. It can't be difficult to establish the facts in the Botswana allegations – if she was found guilty in a court of law, that record would be available. The question ought then to have arisen – when she was appointed – whether she disclosed her criminal record. If not, she's guilty of fraud and should be summarily dismissed. If she did, other (political) questions arise as to her suitability for the appointment, but the fault there would lay with whomever did the appointing.

    On the alcohol claims – given that the ST is in possession of her medical records, one can again assume that such claims are based on evidence. If I was the parent of the teenage liver donor, I'd be outraged at this waste of my son's organs, and would be calling publicly for tighter control of the organ transplant process.

    As it stands, when I heard she'd originally been given a liver transplant, I tore up my organ donor card and rescinded my “living will” and made it known publicly why I was doing so.

    Reply
  5. Paul avatar
    Paul

    Hi Radagast

    This will certainly be an interesting time for Manto. Did you see the President wants proof of the allegations before he will consider media reports about her misconduct. This will be a good test for the government, I think.

    As for being a donor, there are plenty people who could really use your help one day. I wouldn’t let the misbehaviour of one person, even if it is a Minister, deter you from potentially saving someone’s life. I don’t think it is about tighter controls, it is simply a case of not making exceptions for people like the Minister.

    Reply
  6. Paul avatar
    Paul

    Hi Radagast

    This will certainly be an interesting time for Manto. Did you see the President wants proof of the allegations before he will consider media reports about her misconduct. This will be a good test for the government, I think.

    As for being a donor, there are plenty people who could really use your help one day. I wouldn’t let the misbehaviour of one person, even if it is a Minister, deter you from potentially saving someone’s life. I don’t think it is about tighter controls, it is simply a case of not making exceptions for people like the Minister.

    Reply
  7. Paul avatar
    Paul

    Hi Radagast

    This will certainly be an interesting time for Manto. Did you see the President wants proof of the allegations before he will consider media reports about her misconduct. This will be a good test for the government, I think.

    As for being a donor, there are plenty people who could really use your help one day. I wouldn’t let the misbehaviour of one person, even if it is a Minister, deter you from potentially saving someone’s life. I don’t think it is about tighter controls, it is simply a case of not making exceptions for people like the Minister.

    Reply
  8. Paul avatar
    Paul

    Hi Radagast

    This will certainly be an interesting time for Manto. Did you see the President wants proof of the allegations before he will consider media reports about her misconduct. This will be a good test for the government, I think.

    As for being a donor, there are plenty people who could really use your help one day. I wouldn't let the misbehaviour of one person, even if it is a Minister, deter you from potentially saving someone's life. I don't think it is about tighter controls, it is simply a case of not making exceptions for people like the Minister.

    Reply
  9. Fired for blogging in South Af avatar
    Fired for blogging in South Af

    […] of confidential information.  Another irony is that the Sunday Times made a huge deal out of its expose of the health minister a short while ago and how the paper was exercising its right to freedom of […]

    Reply

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