Mkhize’s move to disband Covid–19 council raises questions

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize’s “abrupt” decision to disband the scientific advisory committee on the coronavirus has left experts baffled and unsure of the rationale behind the move, despite the possibility of a resurgence.“I am not sure of the rationale, it is quite soon and sudden.

Some of the reasons given are to make way for new individuals or experts who could have been instituted with the current committee,” independent public health practitioner Dr Shakira Choonara said. “I was actually quite excited about a structure like the MAC (Ministerial Advisory Committee) and hope it continues.”

Among those dropped from the committee, chaired by Professor Salim Abdool Karim, are Professor Shabir Madhi; SA Medical Research Council boss Professor Glenda Gray; Professor Francois Venter, head of the Ezintsha health unit at the University of the Witwatersrand; and Dr An-gelique Coetzee, chair of the SA Medical Association.

Gray and Venter have been critical of some of the government’s regulations to halt economic activity to slow the spread of Covid-19 as “unscientific” in May, which riled Mkhize and led to a spat between the government and the academic community. Public health medicine specialist Dr Atiya Mosam said hopefully the lessons and advice learnt from the outgoing committee members would be carried through to ensure continuity and no loss of the extensive work done so far.

Professor Glenda Davison, head of the biomedical sciences department at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, said though the number of Covid-19 infections and deaths were decreasing, this did not mean SA is out of the woods. She said since it appeared that the decision to disband the MAC was sudden, it would always raise questions, particularly because some of the members publicly disagreed with the government.

But Davison said the original committee had around 51 members, which was very large, saying she believed a more focused group that could provide up-to-date and very practical information was now needed. As of Saturday, the number of cases was 69 498, with 969 new cases identified.

SA has also reported 64 more deaths, which brings to 16 376 the total number of Covid-19 related deaths. – siphom@citizen.co.za

Sipho Mabena.

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