Unemployed doctors, dentists march on Mabuyane’s office
Unemployed Eastern Cape doctors and dentists took their frustrations to the door of the premier’s office in Bhisho on Tuesday, demanding jobs.
The group of 54 doctors and four dentists who participated in the protest march handed over a petition to a member of premier Oscar Mabuyane’s staff, threatening further action unless they were hired by March 1.
Among their demands were that there should be no budget cuts for healthcare and that the health department be allocated additional funding to accommodate all unemployed medical and dental practitioners.
The Dispatch reported in January that the doctors were meant to work at medical facilities in the province for a stipulated period to repay their bursaries but the health department had been forced to write off their debt as it could not afford to keep them on the payroll.
The medical practitioners said no bursary holders and doctors with medical officer contracts should be released from their contracts. Those who had been released should be immediately reinstated.
In addition, all medical and dental officers, bursars, nonbursars and Cuban-trained doctors should be treated equally, the protesters said.
They also demanded that additional funds be channelled for the immediate hiring of staff due to the “healthcare crisis”, and that bailouts be sought from other sectors of government so “essential workers can be employed”.
They said shift work in hospitals was an impractical solution and should be halted as it increased patient waiting times and hindered continuity of care.
The protesters also wanted the mobilisation of medical resources such as medicine and vaccines to be prioritised, and demanded “the promised annual salary increase and retrospective payment from years preceding”.
The march followed a similar protest in Kwazulu-natal on Monday in which unemployed medical graduates took to the streets demanding employment.
On the sidelines of Tuesday’s march in Bhisho, Dr Thapelo Molotsi said it had come as a shock to the unemployed medics that on completion of their community service they had been released from their contracts due to financial constraints.
“That in itself is unjust, not only to us but to communities in need.
“Patients in our hospitals have to wait six hours just to be seen by a doctor and, according to health guidelines, the most stable patient is supposed to be seen and be out of hospital in two hours.
“Most of these patients end up having to sleep on the hospital benches ... We are available to serve.
“Hospitals are severely shortstaffed. Doctors, nurses, dentists ... are not coping because the number of patients keeps increasing.
“It affects everyone and we get burnout and subsequently there are burnout-related complications that don’t only affect healthcare workers but the patients as well.
“You find the national department of health is spending huge amounts money on litigation, and that litigation can be resolved by hiring these young doctors, who are ready to serve the community.”
Dr Nandipha Mzaca, who did her community service at St Elizabeth’s Hospital in Lusikisiki, said: “We were not consulted at any level about the termination.
“We are upset. It’s very sad. I have two children, one of whom is at a TVET college and can’t be funded by NSFAS.
“We are left in debt and banks are refusing to help us because we are unemployed.”
Monde Sotana from the office of the premier accepted the petition.
He told the marchers the memorandum would be handed to Mabuyane and health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth.
“The petition policy says we must respond within 14 working days. Within that 14 days we will respond,” Sotana said.
That did not go down well with the marchers, who demanded to see senior health officials.
Dr Zingisa Apleni said: “It’s something of an urgent matter. We are unable to wait further. We can’t leave until we have a different response.”
Sotana made calls and shortly afterwards the acting deputy director-general for hospitals and clinical support services, Dr Mthandeki Xamlashe, and acting deputy director-general of human resources, Nompumelelo Maseko, arrived to address the crowd.
The protesters handed their
CVS to the officials, demanding that they be employed by March 1.
Xamlashe said: “We have read the petition and definitely the premier will respond at an appropriate time.
“I’m sure you understand your relationship with the state didn’t start with unemployment. It started on day one of medical school.
“Therefore we have a record of respect and recognition of your plight and the plight of communities of the Eastern Cape ... We are here together under difficult circumstances.
“It’s a matter of national dimension. The province is dealing with this matter together with the national office.
“The deputy minister [of health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo] will be here on Friday to address the issues contained in this petition.
“We note that it’s not just unemployment but there are other issues that relate to how the service is structured.
“We welcome some of those ... A lot of them are in line with the vision of the department of health.
“An opportunity will come through after Friday’s meeting ... to respond to this petition comprehensively.
“I just want to appeal to you to wait for that meeting.”
Apleni said if the department did not employ the medics, they would resort to strike action.