Several cases of unethical behaviour by the Eastern Cape Department of Health have been reported over the past years. This paper indicates some of these acts of unethical behaviour displayed by the Eastern Cape Department of Health officials over several years. Maladministration, corruption and financial misconduct are the worst enemies of service delivery to have infested the department. Reasons for, consequences of and recommendations on how to curb the above are given in this paper. The above forms of unethical behaviour lead to the suspension of employees and this article also discusses the impact of suspensions on the department's budget. Recommendations on how the department can deal with suspension cases are also highlighted.