Netcare in disbelief over anti-vaxxer heart surgeon’s stance

Netcare has expressed their “disappoint and disbelief” by the anti-vaccination stance by a heart surgeon affiliated with the hospital. 

The healthcare group said it rejected in the strongest terms Dr Susan Vosloo’s anti-vaccination message. 

Vosloo’s views came to light earlier this week in a video. 

“The sentiments as expressed in the contents of the video are in complete contradiction to the unrelenting endeavours of Netcare, our clinical colleagues, healthcare workers and others to try and curb the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic,” managing director of Netcare’s hospital division, Jacques du Plessis, said in a statement on Friday. 

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“The video further contradicts the views and endeavours of the South African National Department of Health as well as those of global institutions such as the World Health Organization.”

Du Plessis said Vosloo’s comments had “grave implications” for national and global efforts to curb Covid-19, and that the hospital was disassociating itself from her anti-vaccination views. 

He added that as a medical professional, however, Vosloo was entitled to her own views, but wished to remind the country that Netcare stands behind the efforts to vaccinate as many people, as quickly as possible

So far, Netcare has treated more than 110,000 Covid positive patients, of which more than 50,000 required hospitalisations. 

76 Netcare staff members have died due to Covid-19. 

Over 100,000 people, including 33,000 healthcare workers have also been vaccinated through Netcare, which has three active sites capable of delivering 5,000 jabs a day. 

There are also 25 Medicross vaccination sites able to bolster the national vaccination drive.

Vosloo was South Africa’s first female heart surgeon. 

She completed her training at Groote Schuur hospital in 1988, and performed her first heart transplant when she was 33.