Qualified doctors have no jobs to go to in KZN
AS THE government grapples to improve the public health-care system, it is being blamed for a lack of posts at state hospitals for more than 100 newly-qualified doctors.
The country needs an increase in the production of medical doctors to support the proposed National Health Insurance system and the health-care needs of the South African population.
But a group of nine Durban doctors, among those who cannot find a job, fear for their future after eight years of intense study and gruelling hours in under-resourced and under-staffed hospital wards.
On Wednesday, the doctors who have yet to be placed as medical officers (MOz), told of their despair and concern over not being placed in state hospitals as is normal practice for young doctors at the beginning of the year, amid fears that the Department of Health is in financial difficulty.
They did not want to be identified for fear of losing the possibility of placement.
After five years of studying, medical students have to do a twoyear internship, followed by one year of community service. After that they are placed as MOs, where they can become registrars and be mentored by senior doctors in specialist fields.
Young doctors can only qualify as a specialist, such as in orthopaedics, paediatrics, oncology, through the state hospital system.
But the province’s young MOs completed their community service at the end of December and have since sat at home, waiting, apparently because no posts are available in KwaZulu-Natal.
“On the DoH intranet, there are no posts advertised, yet we know there is a desperate need for doctors in our hospitals and clinics. I have heard that the hospital where I completed my community service has only one intern and patients in beds are lining the passages,” said one doctor.
Another added: “It is not a case of there being no posts, there are no funds.”
For the doctors, the last three years have been a blur of 30-hour shifts and some radical improvisation to treat patients because of depleted or no medical supplies.
They are committed to serving their communities, and said while they did not want to go to other provinces because of partners and children, they were willing to travel to rural clinics and hospitals.
“I am now sitting unemployed at home after eight years of study. How can I pay my bills this month? I have a family and student loans to pay. The DoH funds are not managed properly. There are foreign doctors working here from Cuba, the UK, Mauritius and Libya, while the department has been training doctors in Cuba at a huge cost,” said another.
Deputy chairman of the SA Medical Association, Dr Mike Sonderup, said the issue was serious and multi-sectorial and indicated poor administration in certain provinces.
Dr Poonitha Naidoo from the Medical Rights Advocacy Network, said: “KZN spent millions of rand sending these students to Cuba, they could have used that money for these doctors. We would like some answers: did DoH overspend?”
KZN Department of Health spokesman, Sam Mkhwanazi, said there were different categories of healthcare, including doctors.
“Doctors who were funded by the department have been placed. With regard to outstanding issues referring to doctors, the department is dealing with these. Once the department has attended to all internal issues, the public will be informed on the way forward.”