Minister to announce plans for unemployed doctors

Scores of medical doctors in scrubs flocked through the streets of Pietermaritzburg yesterday, marching in protest against unemployment in the health care sector countrywide.

The demonstration, which started outside the University of South Africa offices on Langalibalele Street, saw doctors from across the region voicing their discontent.

They made their way to the offices of the KwaZulu-Natal department of health, where they intended to deliver a memorandum outlining their grievances.

Central to their concerns are the employment of unskilled personnel in senior positions and rampant corruption within the department.

Many lamented the adverse effects these problems had on the quality of health care services provided to communities.

They demanded accountability, transparency and fair employment practices within the health care system.

Deputy Health Minister Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said Minister Joe Phaahla would announce plans for unemployed doctors during the Sona 2024 debate.

“The issue that is going to come up in the debate tomorrow from the minister is a positive development with regard to the unemployed doctors.

“We want to say we are together with you in the sense that doctors in the country have not become too many for the reasons that were not actually thought of [sic].

“Universities in the country and the injection of other doctors who were coming in from Cuba has improved and increased the pool.

“Ten years ago, universities were producing about 1 200 doctors. Now we are actually at a level of about twice that amount, thanks to the universities that have listened to the call of government to expand the intake.

“Also, thanks to the injection of the doctors coming in from Cuba, we now have a reasonably good pool to work with.

“But resources are scarce so we always have to knock on the door of [the] finance minister.

“Over the past few days, there have been positive developments.

“So, let’s give the minister a chance to make those announcements,” he said.

Last month, a number of qualified doctors affiliated to unions staged a protest in Tshwane to hand over a memorandum of demands to Phaahla.

He respond to the memorandum by stating that budgetary constraints and an excess of medical graduates were the main reasons why they were not hiring more doctors.

“Provinces face challenges due to budgetary constraints, with increasing pressure on health care budgets,” he said.

“The rising cost of employment, including salaries, poses a significant challenge, making it difficult for provinces to allocate funds for new positions.”

He also said that the health care sector had complex salary structures, including overtime benefits, which contributed to a high salary bill.