SA’s key regulatory body for healthcare professionals has suspended the chair of its medical and dental professions board, Solly Rataemane, for alleged misconduct, according to a spokesperson for the department of health.
The Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) is a statutory body charged with overseeing the training, registration and conduct of healthcare practitioners. It suspended Rataemane on September 22 and has yet to provide a public explanation for its action.
Rataemane, who chairs the health minister’s advisory committee on mental health and was previously head of psychiatry at Sefako Magkatho Health Sciences University, said on Tuesday the HPCSA had not told him why he had been suspended.
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to have done wrong,” he said, declining to comment further.
The HPCSA’s head of corporate affairs, Christopher Tsatsawane, declined to answer Business Day’s questions, confirming only that Rataemane had been temporarily suspended on September 22.
“We cannot share the details of Prof Rataemane’s suspension as this is a matter under investigation,” he said. “The investigation will be allowed to run its course. We unfortunately cannot pre-empt when the process will be concluded as this will be dependent on the investigation process,” he said.
However, health department spokesperson Foster Mohale said health minister Joe Phaahla had been informed of Rataemane’s temporary suspension pending investigation into allegations of misconduct.
“Due process was followed, in line with the charter (of Good Practice for Council and Professional Board Members). The department is unable to make further comments considering that the matter is still under investigation,” he said.
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