Interns treated badly

ONE aspect of the medical intern placement problem is the uncertainty of whether there are jobs available (“Applicants on edge about delay in placing medical interns” in yesterday’s Cape Times).

The other problem is the poor decision-making and awful treatment handed out to students, as illustrated by two stories told here with permission:

Adre Linde is a final-year UWC dentistry student who said: “I was devastated when I got second-rounded and now I got third-rounded for my community service next year.

“I am married and my husband has permanent employment in Cape Town as a civil engineer.

“He cannot leave the city, which is why I applied for placement in the Western Cape.

“I do not know what to do any more as moving is not possible. “Please assist.” Bianca Beneke is a final-year dental student who applied for a community service post. She lives in Alberton, Gauteng.

Her mother Denise is single and employed, but relies on Bianca to help her care for her disabled son, Adriaan.

Bianca did not include this information about her brother in the first round of applications (as she felt confident she would be placed close to her family).

However, unsuccessful in the first round, she included her family situation as a special circumstance in her second-round application.

When the family contacted the Department of Health they interacted with Mr Victor Khanyile. Mr Khanyile was abrasive and extremely insensitive to the family situation.

He had no empathy. He insisted that the department must come and see if Adriaan is indeed disabled, despite the fact that Bianca submitted confirming documents.

I wrote to Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi urging him to intervene.