Cape Town - A picket by medical practitioners was thwarted hours before it was scheduled to take place at Tygerberg Hospital, with the Department of Health calling for engagement instead.
The SA Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) in the Western Cape was set to protest, in solidarity with other trade unions marching nationally outside the hospital on Thursday, calling on the Health Department to immediately absorb unemployed doctors.
Samatu is a professional and democratic trade union for medical practitioners. Cosatu-affiliated trade unions were supportive of the call, including Denosa, Nehawu, and Popcru, with marches held in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.
Samatu said a decision to postpone the protest was taken, but if the engagements were not successful they would relaunch their campaign.
Samatu Western Cape provincial chairperson Dr Zukiswa Sobetwa said a combination of factors led to the move to protest, with the more pressing being the shortage of doctors putting a strain on the few within the health-care system, leading to fatigue and human error.
“Our immediate agenda is to advocate for unemployed colleagues to be absorbed back into the system for the efficacy of the health sector,” Sobetwa said.
Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale said there were more doctors in private health care, servicing a mere 16% of the population, with fewer doctors in the public health sector servicing about 84% of the population.
“We were made aware of unemployed doctors by the trade union and asked them to share the list so we can forward to provincial health departments to assist in placing them where there are vacant and funded posts,” Mohale said.
Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo said placement of interns lies with the national department.
“When you’re placing someone, it comes with a salary – probably one million per annum – plus also the resources because they have to stay there at the hospital because they work long hours,” Mbombo said.
The 2023 intake was about 332, Mbombo said, comprising first- and second-year interns.
“We do have spaces that can take more, but the issue (is), it doesn’t follow the budget,” Mbombo said, adding that she supported the call by the unions, but said it should be directed at the national department.
“It’s a statutory obligation for the state to place them, because where are they going to go? But the National Treasury needs to provide money to the provinces so that they can take as many as they’re able to,” she said.
The provincial Health and Wellness Department said Samatu’s concerns would be addressed by the National Department.
Department spokesperson Maret Lesch said: “Doctors are placed according to the local health system needs and requirements, also within the approved list of posts and personnel, allowing for the number of vacancies available.”