DURBAN - LIBYAN doctors who are in South Africa to train as specialists have rejected claims they are stealing local jobs.
They say they are part of efforts to remedy a collapsing health system.
The doctors said it was not their fault that the Department of Health had not made posts available for local doctors and too, wished posts would be made available for them to train as there is a critical shortage of specialists.
The Libyan doctors, who are paid by their government, are mainly placed in internal medicine and paediatrics despite a need for training of more doctors in urology, orthopaedics and oncology.
Some said they worked excessive hours for no pay.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one who worked at Tygerberg hospital in Cape Town said, “We do not get paid for our services yet we still stick around here to help. We do not get paid for work on weekends and holidays. In some cases, we are placed on post-call duty in a 24-hour cycle which is something most local doctors are not comfortable doing, yet we do not complain.”
Citing the shortage of specialists, they said they did not want to leave the health system and hoped to continue working in South Africa.
“It is not a case of us wanting to get trained and run. If we are afforded the opportunity, we would stay here and help the government to better the system, if they need us,” said a Durban-based Libyan doctor.
“They cannot blame us for a system that is gone wrong. We are here to learn and to help each other. That is all that our intentions are. We are here for a training and teaching programme and there is no monetary benefit. We are grateful we are able to receive the level of training that we do,”
KZN Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo said, “The Libyan doctors are not part of the department’s staff, nor in posts that are held and paid for by the department. They are supernumeraries recruited by the UKZN Medical School. Supernumeraries are also from other African countries.”