Limpopo Health MEC: Ramaphosa asked to protect Ramathuba after rant at patient

Some South Africans are standing by Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba for protecting South Africa’s healthcare system by launching an online petition to President Cyril Ramaphosa to protect her from those lambasting her for her comments.

The petition on Change.org titled “We South Africans agree and stand by Dr Phophi Ramathuba,” had garnered more then 36,000 signatures at the time of publishing this article.

Ramathuba was lambasted by some after she was seen in a video “explaining” to a foreign national patient why she should pay for the medical procedure she had just received at a public hospital.

The aim of the petition is to reach 50,000 signatures. It was started by Kabelo Mkhondweni and was trending on Twitter on Saturday.

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The petition says the comments made by Ramathuba were reasonable.

“We as South African citizens agree and stand by the reasonable and factual statements made by Dr Phophi Ramathuba in the viral video. Her sentiments are ones that we share as they have an adverse effect on the health department’s ability to provide quality and sufficient healthcare to the citizens of this country.

“Hands off the MEC, we reject any disciplinary action from being taken against the MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba, we reject her being suspended, fired or requested to resign, and also the notion that she should apologise.

We condemn any form of prejudice and discrimination, but in this respect agree that she was not discriminating, [or] xenophobic, but merely expressing facts that need to be addressed and brought to the attention of all the relevant people,” the petition read.

Ramathuba has come under fire since the video emerged on social media.

“You are supposed to be with [Zimbabwean President Emmerson] Mnangagwa; you know he doesn’t give me money to operate. And I’m operating with my limited budget. When you guys are sick, I’m hearing that you just say, ‘let’s cross the Limpopo River, there’s an MEC there who’s running a charity department’,” Ramathuba said.

Without looking at the patient again, Ramathuba then placed her hand on the woman’s leg and said: “Sorry sisi, but you won’t be discharged until you settle your bill.”

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Ramathuba, meanwhile, is not backing down in her fight for SADC countries to pay the medical expenses for their citizens who receive treatment in South Africa.

In an interview with the SABC on Wednesday, Ramathuba said she stood by everything she said, explaining that she did not think she had attacked the patient.

Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has called for her immediate removal from office, saying that her comments are cruel, unjustified and Afrophobic.

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