Unemployed medics driven to depression and emigration say they are ‘not Tintswalos’
Anxiety kicked in in January: ‘I saw how many people were unemployed, I didn't know how to feel about that’
Some of South Africa’s unemployed young doctors are considering taking up international offers as the grass looks greener on the other side.
A few medics shared their stories of sinking into depression as they struggle to find employment in the country.
Among them is SA’S youngest woman medical doctor, 24year-old Dr Thakgalo Thibela. She said if she has not secured anything by June, she’d consider leaving the country.
“... I don’t have enough savings to last me the whole year. If by June I haven’t heard anything, I have to find other means to provide for myself and if that means I have to leave the country, that will happen,” she said.
The Bushbuckridge-born medic, who made headlines after finishing matric at the age of 15 and pursuing her bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery from Wits University, said she started applying for work in September 2023.
Thibela completed her internship at Helen Joseph Hospital and her community service at Mapulaneng Hospital. She had plans to become a neurosurgeon in the future.
“The problem started towards the end of last year when we had to start applying for the next phase of our lives after community service.
“While applying we didn’t think it would be such a big problem like it is now.
“The anxiety wasn’t there. It only started to kick in when December came and there was nothing.
“You see the days go by, then when January came and I saw how many people were unemployed, I didn’t know how to feel about that,” she said.
Thibela said the painful part was how she was reminded they are not the only professionals who are unemployed.
” ... but you get this false sense of security when the department is putting you through school, going for practicals.
“You have this false sense of security thinking there is a shortage of doctors but when you are done you realise you are like everyone else. It blurs the lines,” she said.
She was pained at the prospect of leaving South Africa but said she may have no choice.
“We don’t want to leave our families but we also can’t let our families starve because we are breadwinners and we are not winning any bread. What should we do? It’s very frustrating,” she said.
Thibela said what medical interns are seeing are the results of poor planning.
“It is almost 1,000 of us and there are others finishing up their community service in March, April and June.
“By the end of the year, there will probably be about 1,500 of us [unemployed doctors]. Where is the money going to come from to employ all of us?” Thibela said.
Dr Siyaneliswa Shozi, who has been looking for employment for about 11 months, believes he has so far applied for about 500 posts with no success.
“To be willing to leave your family is very difficult. It’s not a situation I would wish for any doctor in this time,” he said.
Although the 30-year-old thinks he is not ready to take up international offers, he may be forced to.
“A lot of us are tired of sitting around waiting for government to do something.
“Recently they promised 1,500 jobs for doctors, which is only going to be in the next financial year. We know government always has long delays when it comes to hiring,” he said.
Shozi, who has tried to do some work in the private sector, said it isn’t easy as the market is saturated.
He was able to save money to open a practice in September 2023 but he said that has led him to financial distress.
“It has landed me in a lot of debt, and I am trying to work off that debt.
“The private sector is bad, which makes things even worse when you try to use your savings to do something to be successful, trying to find another mechanism to get a job.
“Some people are successful [opening up practices] but a lot of us who are starting GP practices don’t make it past three months,” he said.
He said knowing the country’s need for doctors and seeing how many are considering exiting the country was upsetting.
“We never had this expectation, neither were we warned of the possibility of being unemployed because this never happened before.
“Last year was the first time there was a big media splash about 400 doctors being unemployed, which is outrageous. This year we have 800 who are unemployed. Next year we will have 1,200 doctors unemployed. Where is this country going?” he asked.
For Dr Sharon Mathole, her journey of being a medical doctor was through generosity and the kindness of people around her.
However, like many of her colleagues, she never anticipated being unemployed.
The 26-year-old studied at Stellenbosch University.
“Going to medical school is not cheap. When registering, my parents pulled out all the stops to get me to register and opened that possibility for me.
“First year my parents managed to pay.
“Second year I took out a loan to cover my studies and third year, incredible people at church, led by the Lord, paid for my studies and they paid for everything.
“The generosity and kindness of people around me is the story of how I am a doctor today,” she said.
Mathole started applying for jobs in September 2023.
“I started working on my CV, trying to edit it because, as a doctor, you never know how to apply for jobs.
“We don’t know CVS or cover letters. We never had to, because you spend six years in medical school and then the first three years of you working and getting a salary ...
“The government placed you, so we don’t know the process of looking for jobs and [how to navigate] jobs applications sites,” Mathole said.
Like her colleagues, she believes they are lied to about job security in medicine.
“I think there’s that lie of how we have always been told that when you are a doctor you will always have a job, like job security is guaranteed. [It’s] crazy because you have a heart, a passion and a desire to help people.
“I became a doctor to help communities and people but I
You have this false sense of security thinking there is a shortage of doctors but when you are done you realise you are like everyone else. It blurs the lines
am sitting at home,” she said.
Mathole is contemplating taking offers overseas.
“The difficulty for me is I have always seen myself working and improving communities in Africa but one thing I am not going to do is sit here and twiddle my thumbs and do nothing, specially when I know I have skills that are needed.
“I have looked at it, I am considering it. Another option for me is ships.”
In his recent state of the nation address President Cyril Ramaphosa narrated an analogy about Tintswalo, a child born at the dawn of SA’S democracy in 1994 who benefited from the ANC government’s policies, from free primary healthcare to free education, water, electrified homes and welfare grants.
Shozi said he is a “nontintswalo”.
“Throughout my life, it has always been my hard work and the hard work of my parents that has got me to where I am.
“Assistance has been there for people outside of me. I was the missing middle.
“We made just enough money at home to be able to afford to send us to school but it wasn’t anything fancy.
“We were not able to get any government grant. The only thing we got is the bad side, whereby we were heavily taxed because of where we were and now we are not getting anything in terms of employment,” he said.
Thibela also doesn’t consider herself part of the Tintswalo analogy.
“I do believe government has helped a whole lot of people. But now there is no point in government saying, ‘I took you to school’, and when they have to give us jobs they say no.
“I don’t identify as Tintswalo but I do know people who do. Tintswalo is suffering right now.”
Mathole also doesn’t identify with the Tintswalo story.
“Most South Africans are struggling.
“Many South Africans, including me, are graduates sitting at home, with debts to pay. That is most of South Africa,” Mathole said. —