|
Health Department upgrade.
|
|
|
|
|
| Article Type: | Brief article |
| Subject: |
Administrative agencies
(Health policy) Administrative agencies (Services) AIDS (Disease) (Care and treatment) |
| Pub Date: | 11/01/2008 |
| Publication: | Name: South African Medical Journal Publisher: South African Medical Association Audience: Academic Format: Magazine/Journal Subject: Health Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2008 South African Medical Association ISSN: 0256-9574 |
| Issue: | Date: Nov, 2008 Source Volume: 98 Source Issue: 11 |
| Topic: | Event Code: 970 Government domestic functions; 360 Services information |
| Geographic: | Geographic Scope: United States Geographic Code: 1USA United States |
|
|
|
| Accession Number: | 204550823 |
| Full Text: |
The precipitate departure of Thabo Mbeki from the president's
office has had immediate and profound effects for the National
Department of Health, and it is to be hoped for the health of the people
of our country. The court judgment that provided the impetus for
Mbeki's opposition in the ANC to oust him included a damning
account of interference in the affairs of institutions, for a fair share
of which the Health Department was responsible. Professor Peter Folb,
who was chairman of the Medicines Control Council, was fired for
refusing to register Virodene, a toxic solvent peddled as a treatment
for HIV that had been presented to the cabinet, no less. More recently
the instruments of democracy in the health field, the Health Councils
(e.g. HPCSA, Nursing), the Medicines Control Council and the Medical
Research Council, have been eviscerated of independent minds and packed
with political patronage. AIDS denialism and support of AIDS dissents
have done serious damage to the health of the people, the morale of
health professionals and the reputation of the country. Public health
services and facilities have failed dismally due to poor leadership and
mismanagement. The Editor, Professor Dan Ncayiyana, recounts some of the shame that the country endured during this period, (1) and Chris Bateman, SAMJ news editor, reports on the hope that health professionals have expressed with the appointment of the new Minister of Health and her deputy. (2) |
| Gale Copyright: | Copyright 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. |