Mbeki looking into health spat

2007-07-30 10:38

Pretoria - President Thabo Mbeki was looking into the deteriorating relationship between Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang and her deputy Nozizwe Madladla Routledge.

Asked at a press conference at the Union Buildings on Sunday whether he was looking into conflicting reports coming from the offices of the two, Mbeki confirmed he was giving it attention.

"Yes I am, yes indeed I am looking at that particular matter," was all he was prepared to say on the issue.

This comes after the Daily Dispatch newspaper reported that 2000 babies were stillborn at Eastern Cape hospital's Mount Frere maternity ward over the past 14 years and that 43 newborn babies had died in the last month.

Madladla Routledge paid a surprise visit to the hospital and said she found evidence of a "national emergency" in the health service.

A few days later Tshabalala-Msimang sent a team to the hospital and admitted there were staff shortages and that the hospital's maintenance budget was inadequate.

She however said her deputy's comments were based on untruths and that the mortality rate at the hospital had been exaggerated.

This was only one of the latest of public spats between the two politicians heading the department of health.

- SAPA