The newly appointed director-general of the health department will take office on Monday. Dr Sandile Buthelezi was appointed a week ago.
Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize expressed appreciation to acting director-general Dr Anban Pillay.
Pillay has recently been caught up in a storm involving Medical Research Council (SAMRC) president Prof Glenda Gray, who was critical of the government's lockdown rules.
“I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr Buthelezi and believe that he is certainly up to the task,” said Mkhize.
“We also wish to bid farewell to Dr Yogan Pillay, the deputy DG for communicable and non-communicable disease prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, who is going into early retirement after working for the national department of health for 23 years,” he added.
“Under his leadership, South Africa’s HIV treatment programme grew to become the largest in the world, new vaccines were introduced as part of the expanded programme on immunisation and infant, under-five and maternal mortality rates have declined significantly.”
Dr Yogan Pillay requested in December 2019 to take early retirement in order to join the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) as country director for South Africa and senior advisor on universal health coverage. The initiative began working with the South African government in 2003 and has operated in the country since 2008.
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