Health Dept settles in matter of forced quarantine of Covid-19 positive doctors
Two doctors who were forced through an interdict to stay in a medical facility after testing positive for Covid-19, hope to obtain a cost order against the interdict applicant, the Limpopo Department of Health.
LIMPOPO – The South African Medical Association (SAMA) have been supporting them since their forced admission – both in and out of court.
The doctors were released from hospital yesterday after a settlement agreement was reached between the two, Sama and the department.
Read more: Doctors in Modimolle facility released after Covid-19 test results
After their admission to the hospital, the doctors and the association approached the Limpopo High Court late last week to have their release mandated, as they argued that self-isolation was in line with national protocol and they did not have to be in hospital.
Both went into self-isolation after testing positive some two weeks ago. They were released after a settlement was reached on 7 April. A day later, the department issued a press release stating their release was based on them testing negative for the virus.
The South African Medical Association (Sama) welcomed their release from the Modimolle MDR-TB facility where they were quarantined, but said the department’s approach necessitated that a court order be obtained against it.
“Even though we are delighted that they were released, we remain concerned about the manner in which they were treated initially, especially considering they strictly followed NICD and national government regulations once they tested positive,” Dr Angelique Coetzee, Chairperson of Sama said in a statement.
She said the treatment they were subjected to make other medical workers who test positive reluctant to be tested.
“Valuable resources which are already scarce and in high demand have been utilised in keeping these two doctors in isolation instead of being used for the plight of the more vulnerable,” she said.
With the assistance of the association, the doctors challenged the forced relocation in court, but the Limpopo High Court advised that a settlement should be reached instead.
Lawyers representing the doctors have already informed the department of their intent to take the cost issue further after the official lockdown period.
“It is quite clear that any costs for this unfortunate episode must be carried by the provincial Department of Health and not the doctors who were trying to protect their interests against an unjust decision. These doctors were forcefully taken from their home against national government protocols and should not now have to pay because they were protecting their rights,” Coetzee alleged.
The lawyers expressed their clients’ dissatisfaction for having been forced into isolation. They believe that this was unlawfully and against the official protocol on the clinical management of suspected or confirmed Covid-19 disease on 27 March issued by the national Department of Health, as confirmed by the NICD, that allow people to self-isolate, except where not possible.
The two doctors said they were grateful for the association’s assistance during this time.
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