POPULAR TikToker and bogus doctor Matthew Lani is angry with the Gauteng Department of Health.
He plans to file for damages in civil court against the department for allegedly banning him from entering public healthcare facilities.
Matthew told Daily Sun that he hasn’t been able to access clinics and hospitals to get his medication.
He’s gone to three facilities so far, and he hasn’t been able to gain entry.
“So ever since my matter was withdrawn by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Gauteng health has continued to harass me. One of the ways was to put up posters about me in all its facilities and instruct its staff to deny me access to facilities.
“Three weeks ago, I went to my local clinic to get my ARV medicine. The security and clinic management said that Gauteng health had banned me from entering. I told them I was there to get my medication and I was still refused,” he said.
Matthew said it’s going up to a month since he hadn’t been getting his medication.
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“We will file for damages in civil court. We’ll file it on Wednesday. We’re busy with drafting the facts right now,” he said.
To get help, Matthew reached out to the Human Rights Commission, which said the department was violating Matthew’s right to healthcare.
“We must emphasise that this denial of medication access poses a severe threat to Mr Lani's health and well-being. His need for ARV medication is critical, and any obstruction to his treatment can have dire consequences.
“By denying Mr Lani access to his ARV medication, you are not only violating his fundamental right to healthcare but also potentially exposing yourself and the clinic to legal action. Such actions can be interpreted as a breach of duty and negligence, resulting in severe consequences for both your professional reputation and the clinic's standing,” their letter to the Department of Health read.
However, the department’s Head of communication Motalatale Modiba denied that Matthew was banned from healthcare facilities.
“The Gauteng Department of Health first became aware of the letter from the South African Human Rights Commission through third parties. Our Legal Services has since written to the South African Human Rights Commission to verify the authenticity of the letter and to gather more facts from whatever assessment the organisation would have made. This will enable us to properly respond to the issues raised."
“However, we can safely state that Mr Lani is not prevented from receiving medication if prescribed by a registered doctor,” he said.
Matthew’s controversy started in October when he was bust for being a fake doctor.
He had been using his TikTok page to give medical advice and claiming he was a doctor.
He was later arrested at Helen Joseph Hospital, but the NPA withdrew the charges. At the time, his lawyer admitted that he was not a doctor and was only doing it for social media.
