Dear Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma
My name is Dr Naseeba Kathrada. I am a GP practicing in Durban. I am suffering from serious whiplash as a result of the constant amendments to the Disaster Management Act 2002. The latest amendment published in the Government Gazette dates 1 February 2022 has been amended no less than 37 times since March 2020.
I understand that you are trying your best to save “lives and livelihoods” as is our President Mr Ramaphosa, however I am sure that many other doctors, scientists and in fact a large number of South Africans are as concerned as I am. More so when words like “quarantine” that have ruled our lives for the better part of 2 years are now suddenly deleted from this regulatory act.
There is an uproar about the “refusal of treatment” - Substitution of the Regulation 6 of the Regulation which states that “A warrant contemplated in sub regulation (1) may be issued by a magistrate, if it appear that upon information on oath or affirmation by an enforcement officer that a person is a person with confirmed laboratory test covid-19 positive and symptomatic.”
So much “authority’ being granted to a few, is bound to be scary and concerning to any South African who is made aware of these new regulations
My concerns however, are much larger and I am hoping that this letter is read, understood and circulated by all media houses (who are ethically bound to report the news without bias) and all South Africans who share my concerns.
What does “symptomatic” mean Dr Zuma ? Is it someone with a runny nose or is it someone with runny nose and a fever or is it perhaps someone with pneumonia. Now must the pneumonia be confirmed on chest xray and is there a time frame from postive “laboratory” test to onset of symptoms. What if a person was asymptomatic and positive and did not isolate and two days later becomes symptomatic ? And what “laboratory test” are you referring to ? Is it a RT PCR test or a lateral flow test (rapid antigen test). Laboratories do both. Some doctors and pharmacies also do Rapid Antigen tests. It is all rather confusing.
In one breath the new regulation dismisses asymptomatic covid-19 persons (as should have been the case all along) and in the next, the very same document threatens a positive “symptomatic” person. These same regulations initially led us to believe that asymptomatic Covid-19 persons were responsible for spreading the virus unknowingly now insinuates that asymptomatic spreaders are of so little consequence that even a postive test can be ‘ignored’.
We now know unequivocally that both vaccinated and vaccine free individuals can both get covid-19 AND transmit covid-19. Our vaccinated president himself is testimony to a vaccinated person not being immune to getting covid-19. Surely we can all agree then, that taking a jab is purely for personal protection and mandating jabs ‘for the greater good’ becomes moot.
There’s mixed messages coming from DoH, MAC and the President himself. We were assured that nobody will be forced to take the ‘vaccine’ by the president himself and now coercion is the norm. Most of my patients have taken the jab out of fear, fear of losing their jobs and/or fear of dying from covid. Fear and anxiety is well documented to cause immune-suppression. Let us go back to being healers again and not perpetuators of this unwarranted fear. Honourable minister, the time has come for strong leadership and utmost clarity and authentic guidance from our Department of Health and our Government.
As a doctor working on the frontline, I have no time to test all patients with flu-like symptoms. In fact, never before have I been “forced” to treat a test result rather than treat a person. I am bound by the oath I have taken to “First, do no harm”.
As a citizen, I have a right to informed consent, refusal of treatment as well as the right to safe and effective treatment.
I ask you, Dr Zuma, let us focus on rebuilding our nation. Mandates and coercion must stop - now!
Dr Naseeba Kathrada
On behalf of the Caring Healthcare Workers Coalition (CHC) - 7/2/2022