A group of 150 or so unemployed KwaZulu-Natal doctors staged a sit-in outside the provincial Health Department’s headquarters in Pietermaritzburg on Monday, warning that they would “escalate” their protest if their demands were not met within seven days.
Their protest, the latest among unemployed health professionals fed up with waiting for permanent positions, comes as the South African Medical Association (SAMA) this week urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in the matter (see more below).
Acting on behalf of the provincial government, the chief of staff in the Office of the Premier, Brian Ntuli, accepted and acknowledged a memorandum from them, in which they highlighted the recurring phenomenon of doctors protesting for jobs at the beginning of every year.
They said this was a clear indication of poor planning and negligence on the part of the government, was unacceptable, and “reflects a blatant disregard for the well-being of both healthcare professionals and the patients we serve”, reports TimesLIVE.
Their demands included the immediate employment of all doctors, transparent workforce planning, a reallocation of funds for healthcare – as well as an independent audit of budgets to ensure transparency and accountability – and support for rural facilities.
They said special incentives should be introduced to attract and retain doctors in rural areas. The list of demands, additionally, called for mental support for overburdened doctors, including counselling services.
The doctors said the government could not continue to shirk its constitutional and moral obligations.
They added that the government’s suggestion that they find jobs in the private sector or overseas “is not only insensitive but also a gross abdication of responsibility”.
“Such a stance flies in the face of section 27 of the constitution, which guarantees everyone the right to access healthcare. By failing to employ available doctors, the government is effectively denying this constitutional right to millions of South Africans.
“The issue …is not just about numbers; it is about lives. Behind every statistic is a patient waiting for care, a doctor under immense pressure and a family devastated by preventable loss.
“In rural and underserved areas, the situation is even more critical. These regions desperately need additional doctors, yet government inaction leaves communities without adequate care while qualified doctors sit idle.”
SAMA wrote Ramaphosa on Monday asking him to intervene in an unemployment crisis affecting junior doctors nationally.
The letter states that more than 1 800 doctors across SA had completed their mandatory community service and demonstrated their willingness to work even in the most underserved areas.
Sama chair Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa said many departments in public hospitals were dangerously understaffed, leaving existing staff to shoulder unsustainable workloads.
He emphasised that burnout and depression were at an alltime high, yet the quality of patient care was in decline.
Sama Trade Union Eastern Cape chair Dr Mpumelelo Melamane said they had recently met premier Oscar Mabuyane who decided that the doctors must be employed.
“We made it known that if they are not employing doctors they are denying people of the Eastern Cape their constitutional right. Chapter 27 states people have the right to access healthcare.”
This week, members from across the country will march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, alongside other health workers, to draw attention to the matter.
“This is affecting the entire country.
“And it is not the first January we have seen unemployed doctors,” Melamane said.
“Our proposal is the same as the one suggested by Mabuyane; to redirect funds to the department.
“Funds are there and administrators should redirect them for employment purposes.”
At present, funds were prioritised for a tender system in which hospitals and clinics were built or refurbished.
“If they can see there is no staff, why are they continuing to build?”
National health spokesperson Foster Mohale said: “The issue is about budget to pay their salaries, not places to work from.
“We need more health professionals including medical doctors in the public health sector.
“One of the main solutions to address unemployment of doctors and other graduates is budget.
“The department has been in discussions with provinces and the Treasury to find a longlasting solution to this.”
The issue is about budget to pay their salaries, not places to work from
Daily Dispatch – Doctors plead for President to intervene in jobs crisis
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Minister under fire as number of jobless doctors grows
Not our job to place young doctors, says Health Department