“It is criminal and it is murder. It has to stop.”
These are the words of World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus regarding personal protective equipment (PPE) corruption in SA.
Speaking during a media briefing in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend, Ghebreyesus said corruption related to supplies of PPE during the Covid-19 pandemic was unacceptable.
Ghebreyesus was asked about alleged PPE corruption in SA related to tender fraud worth billions.
SA’s Covid- 19 corruption scandals have been thrown into the international spotlight and have battered the country’s image globally.
“Any type of corruption is unacceptable,” said Ghebreyesus.
“However, corruption related to PPE, for me it’s actually murder. If health workers work without PPE, we’re risking their lives and the lives of the people they serve. It is murder and it has to stop.”
