Doctors at the Diepkloof Government Mortuary put tools down for two days this week in protest against the reinstatement of a male doctor accused of stealing body parts.
This is from a statement released by the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Gauteng shadow Health MEC Jack Bloom.
Bloom said, “The male doctor was suspended in November 2013 following accusations of trying to take the brains and heart of a deceased woman out of the mortuary in a bucket.
“A criminal charge was laid with the police but the case has yet to come to trial and the Gauteng Health Department’s disciplinary case against him has been hit by delays.”
“The accused pushed for a pre-disciplinary arbitration and was reinstated at the morgue on Monday.
“Doctors and other staff were appalled and stopped work.
“The impasse was resolved after the department transferred him to head office, and it appears that his disciplinary case will continue,” said Bloom.
He said, “I am outraged that the department has taken so long with this sensitive case.
“The accused doctor has received R1 million while on suspension on full pay for 16 months.”
“Desecrating the dead is a very serious matter, and the male doctor shouldn’t have been allowed to return to the mortuary unless he was found innocent.
“This case must be speeded up and extra controls put in to prevent the stealing of body parts from the state morgue,” Bloom concluded.
