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A medical doctor and pharmacy assistants have been dismissed from Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital as the Gauteng Health Department moved to enforce discipline at its hospitals.
 
Dr D Soma was fired for using hospital facilities to conduct an eye operation on a patient that he had consulted at private health facility. The doctor charged the patient, who is a pensioner, R3 000 for a cataract removal operation. Cataract operations are done without charge in public health facilities and the doctor was charged with misconduct for using public facilities to operate on his private client. The doctor has appealed against his dismissal. The case has been reported to the Health Professions Council of South Africa.
 
Another doctor is under investigation for working at a private hospital during the time he was supposed to be at the hospital. Five operations were cancelled due to the doctor’s absence.
 
Four pharmacy employees are also under police investigation following allegations of theft of medicine from the hospital.  Two of them (Ms B N Mbele and Mr M Ngcingwana) have been dismissed.
 
Ms Mbele, a pharmacy assistant, was allegedly caught at the hospital gate trying to drive out with medicines worth R200 000. Mr Ngcingwana was seen on closed circuit television instructing a fork lift driver who delivers boxes of drips to wards to include two extra boxes. On inspection it was found that the boxes containing drips had been emptied and filled with steroid injections. The value of the medications was estimated at R198 000.
 
The other two, a pharmacist and a pharmacy assistant are still under internal investigation for improperly handling medicines. Their cases have also been reported to the police.
 
Meanwhile a clerk has taken his case on arbitration after being dismissed for allegedly defrauding members of the public by promising them employment at the hospital. It is estimated that the employee collected about R398 000 through this scam.
 
The department has urged all employees to come forward with information that would lead to the prosecution of more people who are stealing from public facilities. The department is also warning employees that it will not hesitate to take tough actions against anyone found stealing from public facilities. The negative impact of unethical conduct by professionals is borne by members of the public, who are turned back because of medical shortages and have to wait long periods for their operations to be done.