Johannesburg - The SA Medical Research Council (SAMRC) says it has not found any transgressions committed by its president Professor Glenda Gray regarding controversial comments she made in the media.
SAMRC issued a statement on Tuesday stating the organisation's board had met with Gray and looked at its policies and found that the professor had not transgressed the council's policies.
"The Board has discussed this matter with Professor Gray and looked into our relevant SAMRC policies. We did not find transgression of these policies by Professor Gray. The Board has decided that it will not be instituting any further investigation on this matter.
"The Board encourages Professor Gray, the Minister of Health and the Ministerial Advisory Committee to resolve the issue of statements made in media amicably in the best interests of all parties and the nation," the council said.
Gray had been quoted by News24 as saying that Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital had seen increased cases of malnutrition in children.
Her comments were criticised by Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, who said
and that Gray had said she was merely quoting what had been said by a colleague.
SAMRC’s discussions with Gray followed a letter written by the health department’s director-general Dr Anban Pillay requesting the organisation look into the matter as Gray had made false allegations against the department of health.
Gray serves as part of the health advisory committee which was appointed by Mkhize to help advise the ministry in its approach and response to the coronavirus pandemic.
She had received widespread support from some sectors of the academic community following rumours that she was being investigated for her comments.
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