• For leaking “confidential” hospital information
• Mochoboroane labels him power hungry

Mathatisi Sebusi/Mohloai Mpesi

THE Head of the Eye Department at the Maseru District Hospital and Eye Clinic, Dr Wenjun Fan, has been suspended for allegedly disclosing confidential information to the media without authorisation.

Dr Fan was this week handed a three-month suspension letter signed by the Ministry of Health’s Principal Secretary, ’Maneo Ntene, and dated 24 October 2025.

The ophthalmologist recently criticised what he described as the inefficiency and mismanagement at the new state-of-the-art Maseru District Hospital which only began operating earlier this year.

Over the weekend, Dr Fan told the Sunday Express — a sister paper to the Lesotho Times — that the hospital was beset with serious management challenges, including weak leadership, staff shortages, financial constraints, and poor service delivery.

Although these issues were not unique to Maseru District Hospital, he said, they were more glaring at the country’s newest hospital.

He lamented the continued absence of a substantive Director- General for Health Services, which he said had negatively impacted the entire health sector.

The problem was compounded by the fact that both the Principal Secretary and the Minister of Health were political appointees with no professional medical background, Dr Fan said.

The Director-General’s post should ideally be occupied by someone with medical expertise, he added.

According to him, widespread mismanagement, corruption, and incompetence persisted across the country’s health sector, with hospitals and headquarters operating in isolation and without clear communication channels.

Dr Fan also criticised the lack of accountability within the hospital, saying management meetings were often held without proper documentation, follow-ups, or feedback. Some staff members, he alleged, did not report for duty and worked remotely or away from their workstations, while certain departments operated in a disorganised manner.

He questioned the way the hospital spends its M10 million annual allocation, saying resource shortages persisted despite the substantial funding.

Dr Fan also decried poor data management, saying most records were still being stored manually despite the availability of new computers, undermining reliability and efficiency.

However, his observations appear to have angered the Ministry of Health, particularly because he aired his grievances through the media.

In her suspension letter, Ms Ntene stated that Dr Fan was being suspended for three months with pay to allow investigations to proceed without interference or disruption.

“This serves to inform you that the Ministry has received allegations that you may have disclosed confidential information to the media without authorization. Consequently, an investigation has been initiated to establish the facts surrounding this matter.

“To allow the investigation to proceed without any interference or disruption, the Ministry has decided to suspend you from 24 October 2025 to 24 January 2026,” the letter reads.

The letter further clarified that the suspension was a precautionary measure and did not constitute disciplinary action. Dr Fan’s employment remains valid, and he will continue receiving his salary during the suspension period.

He has also been instructed not to report for duty or access the ministry’s premises without written permission during the suspension.

Dr Fan’s recent comments to the media described the mismanagement and poor financial state of Maseru District Hospital, as a “full-blown crisis”.

The 200-bed hospital — built through a CNY 400 million (approximately M1 billion) grant from the Chinese government — was constructed by Shanghai Construction Company and handed over to the Lesotho government in June 2024. The facility was designed to provide advanced medical services including ophthalmology, intensive care, dialysis, CT scans, and treatment for infectious diseases.

Mochoboroane hits back

Minister of Health, Selibe Mochoboroane, confirmed Dr Fan’s suspension in an interview with the Lesotho Times on Monday this week.

Mr Mochoboroane dismissed Dr Fan’s allegations as false and self-serving, accusing him of pursuing personal ambitions.

“There is no problem of mismanagement at Maseru District Hospital. The problem we have is one doctor (Fan) who, when I became minister, was bad-mouthing the then Director-General because he wanted a high position,” Mr Mochoboroane said.

“This same person went to some of my colleagues asking them to persuade me to offer him the position of Director of Clinical Services. He is the one causing confusion at the hospital. The information he is spreading about patients who died is not true and does not make sense.”

The minister further explained that the hospital had only recently become fully operational.

“It took us some time after the hospital’s opening to activate wards. The hospital was officially opened between June and July 2024, and the wards were opened in January this year,” he said.

Mr Mochoboroane also dismissed Dr Fan’s allegations that the hospital had recorded more than 100 deaths due to negligence.

“Even if you request records, you will not find the numbers he is claiming,” he said, while also refuting allegations that management meetings were irregular.

“The claim that we do not hold management meetings is a lie. I chair management meetings every Monday at 7 a.m.—except for today because I gave you this interview. Then on Tuesday, Maseru District Hospital holds its own management meeting to address issues discussed on Monday and ensure they are resolved.”

He accused Dr Fan of using his position to advance personal interests.

“This doctor has his own hidden agenda. He wants high positions and is going about it the wrong way — by tarnishing the hospital’s reputation. That will not get him any position. We have advertised the position of Director-General, which he is also eyeing. He should apply like everyone else instead of criticising his seniors.”

Mr Mochoboroane also said Dr Fan had been reprimanded on several occasions for similar conduct before the current suspension.

“Since I joined this ministry, there have been several reprimands against him, but no serious action was taken—perhaps that’s what he wanted. Now that he has been suspended, his behaviour is finally being taken seriously,” he said.