Reference:
De Maayer, T. (2022). How do you manage to come to work every day, fail at your job of ensuring basic healthcare for the people you serve and still sleep at night? DM168.
Summary:
In a poignant open letter, Dr Tim De Maayer, a paediatrician at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital, sheds light on the dire state of public healthcare in South Africa. He recounts the tragic loss of a 13-year-old patient and expresses his frustration over the inadequate resources and overwhelming conditions that contribute to the deaths of children. He highlights the challenges faced by healthcare professionals, such as power outages during critical procedures, malfunctioning medical equipment, and a lack of basic hygiene facilities. Despite raising these issues repeatedly with hospital management, little has changed. Dr De Maayer questions the moral responsibility of healthcare administrators, urging them to confront the reality of their failing systems rather than attributing blame to external factors like immigration. He calls for urgent action to address the systemic failures that jeopardise the health and well-being of vulnerable children, all while expressing his unwavering commitment to providing the best care possible for his patients. The letter serves as a heartfelt plea for accountability and improvement within the healthcare system, reflecting the profound moral injury experienced by healthcare workers.