Durban - The SA Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) – a labour union representing medical practitioners – is planning marches in four provinces to bring attention to the plight of unemployed doctors.
The marches are to be held on Thursday, in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and Free State. However, the National Department of Health said the planned protest marches by Samatu were unprotected.
Samatu secretary-general Dr Cedric Sihlangu was adamant yesterday that the marches would go ahead.
“We have qualified doctors sitting at home. This is not acceptable, they have completed their five-year internship and two years’ community service and need to be employed,” Sihlangu said.
Sihlangu challenged the department to act.
“We have health-care facilities across South Africa where they are operating on skeleton staff. There is a huge need for doctors to be employed in hospitals, clinics and health-care facilities. It’s time that the Health Ministry stops saying that they don’t have enough budget to employ doctors, and started addressing the need for more doctors.”
Foster Mohale, Health Department spokesperson, said the department had been made aware of the marches.
“The department has been alerted to a social-media poster bearing the name of trade union Samatu, agitating for a march planned for Thursday to the Dr AB Xuma Building – the head office of the National Department of Health and Offices of the Premiers for the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
“But the Health Department has no record of notice by any organisation or group of people to stage a march at its offices. The department is fully aware that there are medical doctors who are still trying to find employment after completing the statutory community service,” Mohale said.
He said in terms of the National Health Act, the department in conjunction with the provincial departments of health, took responsibility for the placement of internship and community service applicants.
“Once medical doctors complete their community service, they then become free to seek employment in workplaces of their choice. It therefore becomes their responsibility to apply for positions at various hospitals under the jurisdiction of the provincial Health departments or in the private health sector.”
Mohale added that Samatu’s appeal to medical doctors who did not yet have employment was based on false information.
“At no stage did the department commit to finding employment for medical doctors who have completed their community service.”
He said Samatu was advised to submit a comprehensive list of such unemployed doctors, including their full personal details and the HPCSA (Health Professions Council of SA) details.
“The Health Department will then share that list with the provinces for them to assist with employment where they have funded vacant posts. Samatu has thus far not complied with that request and guidance. It is therefore disingenuous for leaders of professional and democratic trade unions for medical practitioners to try to exploit the emotions of those desperately seeking employment by giving them false information,” he said.