Respect doctors’ ethical obligations

Hospital director Thys van Mollendorf was fired because he condoned the provision of post-exposure prophylaxis to rape survivors in the public Rob Fereira hospital in Mpumalanga province, South Africa.

We believe that the actions of the Mpumalanga MEC for Health, Ms Sibongile Manana, who used a government tribunal to terminate the services of Dr Thys von Mollendorff, are ethically indefensible. We call on her to reconsider her actions in the light of doctors’ universally recognised ethical obligations to their patients, and to reinstate Dr von Mollendorff. Political interference in healthcare delivery was unambiguously denounced by the World Medical Association at the 38th World Medical Assembly in October 1986, as follows:

“Physicians must have the professional freedom to care for their patients without interference. The exercise of the physician’s professional judgement and discretion in making clinical and ethical decisions in the care and treatment of patients must be preserved and protected.

“Physicians must have the professional independence to represent and defend the health needs of patients against all who would deny or restrict needed care for those who are sick or injured.”

Dr von Mollendorff acted within the letter and spirit of this declaration. To victimise him for having defended the highest principles of his profession, and for standing up for his mostly vulnerable and poor patients, is unjust in terms of all civilised and humane ethical standards.

Moreover, we believe that the MEC’s actions go against President Thabo Mbeki’s call for volunteerism, since the services rendered by GRIP were funded by voluntary contributions from the greater Nelspruit community, and were part of the victim empowerment programme, officially mandated in terms of health policy.