Work permit delayed so she can't treat patients

Source: Sowetan Live, 23/08/2015

A long-serving doctor at Livingstone Hospital in Port Elizabeth has
been barred since May from working after the department of home
affairs failed to renew her work permit.


Hospital sources said contingency plans had to be made to supply a
doctor for the medical outpatients clinic, that was in the past run by
Dr Hilda Gonzalez-Aguilera.


When asked to provide an explanation for the delay home affairs
spokesman Mayihlome Tshwete promised "to investigate".


Eastern Cape health department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said it was
against the policy of the department to allow doctors without valid
work permits to see patients.


"The doctor cannot work without a permit for indemnity (insurance)
purposes."


The DA's Celeste Barker said they were horrified to hear of the latest
developments.


"It is terrible that an essential service at Livingstone Hospital is
not available due to bureaucratic bungling at the department of home
affairs," she said.


"It is very clear that people count less than paper. This state of
affairs is completely unacceptable and unconstitutional.


"Livingstone Hospital has made such great strides under the leadership
of Thulane Madonsela. It is not right that service delivery at the
hospital is now being set back by something that is not at all the
hospital's fault," she said.


"I am totally disturbed by what is obviously bureaucratic bungling by
the department of home affairs," the provincial leader of the
Treatment Action Campaign and spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Health
Crisis Coalition Action Group, Fikile Boyce said.


"The Health Professions Council allows the doctor's accreditation and
there is no need for her to be disallowed to work because of
work-permit issues.


"South Africa is struggling with a chronic shortage of health
professionals. This just makes me realise that our democratic
government doesn't serve the interests of the poor and vulnerable
majority, even though they are the people who voted it into
power.


"There must be processes in the interim to allow her to work while the
department ... is sorting out the issue of her work permit.


"I trust and hope this will ensure we compensate for the dire shortage
of health professionals," Boyce said.


The Health Professions Council of South Africa confirmed that Dr Hilda
Gonzalez Aguilera's registration was current and in order.