Special Hearings — Health Sector Hearings — 1997-06-17

MS MKHIZE: Maybe just one question to ask you to complete a picture.  You have, I should think, fairly described to us the experiences of concerned doctors or committed doctors who were coming from outside to the townships, but there were also, I suppose, other health workers who were working and living in the townships.  From some of our hearings we have heard about doctors like Dr Asfad(?), Dr Luthuli in KwaZulu Natal, have you got a comment as to how you forged links and support with those doctors who were almost living there?

MARK BLETCHER: Well firstly to say that, you know I think obviously doctors who lived in the townships often had even a much worse situation than we did, because at least at times we were able to escape from the difficulties of work and recover outside whereas a lot of doctors and health workers who worked in the township faced the same stress at night as they did during the day.
 I must say organisations like the Namda Support Group for Doctors, Emergency Service Group for Doctors were really helpful at the time in supporting doctors around the country who were trying in their way to respond.  I think there is no question that in these most difficult and dark times there have been incredible contributions by the health workers around the country, by a number of health workers around the country in the face of a profession which was largely silent.

MS MKHIZE: Just one last question.  I get an impression that you were hospital-based at that time when you were exposed to these atrocities, is that correct?

MARK BLETCHER: Well in Crossroads we worked for an NGO clinic, the Empelisweni SACLA Clinic was an NGO clinic.  In Duncan Village, yes, I was employed by the Province of the Eastern Cape, so that was a State employment.  But then in the evenings we opened this detainee service as a kind of NGO detainee service outside our State employment.

MS MKHIZE: The reason why I asked whether you were attached to a hospital at all is because what you are describing is difficult to comprehend as to - I mean you do mention that there was complete silence but were there any efforts to put pressure, even within a local hospital where you were based where maybe often you had doctors' meetings, maybe on a weekly basis, to talk about what you were exposed to?

MARK BLETCHER: In the Eastern Cape almost nothing, as I say, except for the Namda doctors group which we had.  Now that Namda doctors group was a very supportive environment.  It was an environment where those few doctors who were committed could share experiences and kind-of realise they weren't crazy or something like that.  But inside the official State structures there was absolutely nothing on that.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much.  Pumla?

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Everyone is staring at me because I raised my hand.  Dr Wendy Orr my apologies, just one question.  The South African Medical Journal is the publication of the professional association of medicine, is it?

MARK BLETCHER: Yes.

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: I am interested to know, often when you send in an article for publication you get responses from reviewers, what were the comments of the reviewers on your article?

MARK BLETCHER: Very few comments were given.  Basically they felt that the article was not of the kind of academic standard that they would want in the journal.  Now looking back at that with some hindsight, and having now published over 20 articles in referee journals and so on, I think there is no question that it was one of our earlier you know attempts, and it wasn't a particularly high-falluting academic article.  But the - you know the response that we had was just so impersonal and so - there was absolutely no support and didn't say, why don't you put this as a letter because you are describing something which is of relevance to South African medicine, or as an opinion or look we've published the following ten articles in this area and therefore we are not publishing it.  It was just part of the general silence in the time.
 Just another example which I wold like to briefly give because you asked the question about was there an opportunity to voice some of these things.  I remember one event in the Department of Community Health, University of Cape Town where the Department of Community Health attempted to bring to light some of these events and they held an epidemiology seminar describing all the injuries and one forensic doctor told about all the people he had seen who were shot and so on.  Now I remember one particular presentation by a senior forensic colleague and he spoke for about 45 minutes about the number of cars that had been burnt out, and a number of buildings that had been damaged, and the number of this that the other - that was all I can remember for that length of that speech and it went on for quite a long time.  That was the kind of response that.....

MS GOBODO-MADIKIZELA: Thank you.

CHAIRPERSON: Thank you very much.  We just want to say that we are glad there are young people like yourself and others around.  And we are here now.  Thank you.
EXPERIENCES AT ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS

WENDY ORR: We are going to hear next from two doctors who were students at the University - one doctor at the University of Natal and the other at UCT, and they are - I've called him Professor Solly Ratemane but he tells me he's not a professor yet but I have promoted him, and Dr Ahmed Moosa.  Could both of you come up please.
 Welcome Dr Moosa and I will continue to call you Professor Ratemane.  Fazel is going to be leading the evidence from you Solly and Glenda from Dr Moosa.

DR RANDERA: Gentlemen in the interest of time can I ask you both to stand to take the oath.

SOLLY RATEMANE: (sworn states)

AHMED MOOSA: (sworn states)

DR RANDERA: Solly can I just introduce you first.  You are a consultant psychiatrist at Medunsa in the Garankuwa Hospital and you are also head of the Child and Adolescence Psychiatric Unit since June 1996.  You've come to talk to us about your experiences as a medical student, firstly at the University of Natal Medical School where you did your undergraduate work, and then later at Wits Medical School where you did your postgraduate work.

SOLLY RATEMANE: Yes.

DR RANDERA: Please take your time and tell us what happened.