Cancer treatment will suffer as top doctor quits Helen Joseph hospital

20 October 2022

The resignation of Dr Carol Benn from the Breast Cancer Clinic at the Helen Joseph Hospital is a harsh blow for patients who have benefited from her expertise and compassion for many years.

I am concerned that she left after 17 years of sterling service because of unresolved conflicts with the hospital management.

Dr Benn was instrumental in building up the Breast Clinic as a centre of excellence, but it will be hard to maintain the high standards with her departure.

She always placed the welfare of patients first, but this is not appreciated in Gauteng’s public hospitals where other top specialists have quit because of poor management and working conditions.

We are lucky that Dr Tim de Maayer has stayed at the Rahima Moosa Hospital despite being threatened for speaking out about the poor conditions there.

The problem is that there is often political interference in the appointment of hospital CEOs, instead of appointing the best people.

The DA proposes that strict merit standards be applied when appointing hospital CEOs, who should be assisted and monitored by strong hospital boards.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health, 20 October 2022