KwaZulu-Natal’s Unemployed Doctors’ Protest Continues
- Unemployed doctors in KZN continued with their protest outside the province's Health Department offices
- The graduates were demanding that the government honours its commitment to employ health workers in April 2024
- KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane said the provincial government is in talks with the national government to avail funding to fill doctors' vacancies
Zingisa Chirwa is an experienced Briefly News journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa, who has covered current affairs on radio for over 15 years. Do you have a political story you would like to share? Email zingisa.chirwa@briefly.co.za with CA in the subject line.
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KwaZulu-Natal - Unemployed doctors in KwaZulu-Natal continued camping outside the provincial Health Department in Pietermaritzburg.
Unemployed KZN doctors demand employment
The doctors told ENCA they would not leave until the government fulfilled its promise to employ doctors and health workers by April 2024.
The doctors, who started their sit-in on 2 April 2024, said they need to be employed to alleviate the pressure at public healthcare facilities.
Health Department's budget constraints
KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane said the department could not fill doctor vacancies due to a lack of funding.
Simelane, however, said the provincial government was in talks with the national government to acquire the needed budget.
Simelane, according to SowetanLVE, urged the unemployed doctors to follow the recruitment process.
"You cannot just be given an appointment letter. You do have to go through the process. And these unemployed doctors, in particular, we are requesting them to do the same."
South Africans weigh in
Netizens had varying views on the doctors' picket. While others supported the initiative, some asked if they could not find other forms of employment.
PatriotSA GoodCitizenry #OperatnDudula said:
“Our Doctors are so right we stand with them until we get into #GeneralElections2024 to remove or Vote out corrupt government who chew Doctors salaries the likes of #MapisaNqakula”
Ask the word! commented:
“They should stop making drama here and go look for jobs at Shoprite or Wimpy, we all started somewhere. They just like attention.”
Sarel PG_vH added:
“Show us they are doctors and not fake doctors.”
Mzwandile Shabalala declared:
“All our government cares about is to hire more undertrained Dr's.”
Lawrence Gazol asked:
“They have the qualifications why can't they open their own practices and volunteer on public and private hospitals.”
Doctors march to the National Health Department
Over 1000 unemployed doctors marched to the Health Department in Pretoria to hand over a memorandum of demands to Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla.
They were demanding that doctors be offered permanent and non-shift work contracts.
They also called for all vacant posts to be funded and filled within three months.
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Source: Briefly News
