Unemployed doctors in KZN say 20 new posts 'not enough'
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health says 20 new posts for doctors will be advertised in the coming week.
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A group of unemployed doctors in KwaZulu-Natal have vowed to continue their sit-in outside the provincial government's offices in Pietermaritzburg until their demands are met.
In a statement, the doctors who have been holding a picket outside the offices since Monday welcomed the announcement by the KZN Health MEC that 20 new posts would be advertised but said it was wholly inadequate given the scale of the problem. On Wednesday, Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane announced that the 20 vacancies will be advertised in the coming week as an emergency intervention.
She added that the department was still awaiting its allocation from the 800 healthcare posts promised by the national government earlier this year.
In response, the unemployed doctors said there were 137 doctors who remain jobless after completing their community service. They highlighted the severity of the shortages. “It (new vacancies) does not begin to address the widespread doctor shortages that persist across many hospitals and clinics throughout the province. Critical services remain understaffed, and many communities continue to suffer due to a lack of adequate medical personnel.”
The doctors pointed out that this shortage is not limited to specialist units but affects the entire healthcare system. They also noted that other provinces have responded more proactively by opening significantly more posts and absorbing a larger number of unemployed doctors, demonstrating the political will required to uphold the constitutional right to quality healthcare.
“We reiterate: healthcare is a fundamental human right, and the availability of trained medical professionals is essential to delivering that right,” the statement read. “The ongoing unemployment of qualified doctors, while patients wait in overcrowded clinics and under-resourced hospitals, is unacceptable.”
The doctors called on provincial leadership to urgently increase the number of posts available in the interim, even as they await broader national funding interventions. “We remain open to engagement with the MEC for Health and the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal to address the issue of unemployed doctors and improving the state of healthcare for our communities,” the statement said.
“We urge the MEC of Health and Premier of KwaZulu-Natal to escalate this matter with the necessary urgency it demands.” The group also confirmed their peaceful sit-in outside government offices in Pietermaritzburg will continue until they receive a positive outcome. “We stand ready to serve. All we ask is the opportunity to do so.”
The South African Medical Association Trade Union (SAMATU) described the 20 posts as insufficient to meaningfully reduce the backlog, calling for all vacant posts to be filled immediately.
SAMATU general secretary Dr Cedric Sihlangu said: “Hospitals cannot bolster human resources while the very same units have a lot of vacant posts.” He further lamented the lack of consultation with unions, despite their frontline knowledge of the system’s challenges.