Unemployed KZN Doctors Take to the Streets To Demand Government Open Doors to Job Opportunities
- Hundreds of KwaZulu-Natal's unemployed doctors staged a march to the Health Department's headquarters to demand job action
- The group listed demands for the attention of KZN Health Member of the Executive Council (MEC) Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu
- The action by the unemployed cohort against a staggering doctor-to-patient ratio of 0.31 doctors per 1,000 patients in SA's public sector
Source: Original
PIETERMARITZBURG — Unemployed doctors took to the streets this week to demand action from the government in response to their plight for jobs.
Hundreds joined voices during a march from the University of South Africa (UNISA) Pietermaritzburg campus to hand over a memorandum of demands to KwaZulu-Natal Health Department officials on Monday, 27 January 2025.
Initially expecting a response within three days, the group continued to picket outside the premises for most of the week.
Unemployed doctors raise their voices
After arriving on the first day and picketing outside the department's Natalia Building headquarters in Langalibalele Street, Acting Deputy Director General Dr Nozipho Mthembu accepted the memorandum on behalf of KZN Health Member of the Executive Council (MEC) Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu.
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Dr Mxolisi Xulu, who completed his medical degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in 2021, told Briefly News they had extended the deadline for a response to seven days after an engagement with health officials.
Chief among the unemployed doctors' concerns was what they deemed a complete disregard for their qualifications, having recently completed community service.
Xulu described dismay by the lack of employment opportunities.
"Despite our qualifications and training, we're forced to demand that the government provides us with jobs to serve our communities," said Xulu.
"We believe the recurring [pattern of] doctors protesting for jobs at the beginning of each year indicates the government's poor planning and negligence.
"This is unacceptable and reflects a blatant disregard for the well-being of healthcare professionals and the patients we [are meant to] serve."
He said the understaffing of public healthcare facilities impacted the quality of service given to patients, which the unemployed cohort view as a basic human rights violation that required swift correction.
According to StatsSA, the country's unemployment rate reached 32.1% by the third quarter of 2024, while over 50% of the population lived below poverty.
Source: Original
Dr Kenneth Sithole, a UKZN graduate and representative of Unemployed Healthcare Workers of KwaZulu-Natal, said the continued unemployment of medical doctors added to the dire socio-economic reality.
He said the problem transcended an economic issue and had become a humanitarian crisis, with devastating consequences for the broader society, especially the poor, who depend on the public healthcare sector in the millions.
"The government has cited budget constraints, but it is indefensible to allow qualified medical doctors to languish without jobs in a country whose healthcare system is on the brink of collapse.
"The doctor-to-patient ratio in the public sector is a staggering 0.31 doctors per 1,000 patients, far below the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendation of 1:1000," said Sithole.
He explained that the chronic shortage had led to overworked healthcare workers, extended patient waiting times, and a decline in quality care.
"Overburdened doctors are prone to experiencing burnout and compromised mental health, leading to a lack of patient care," said Sithole.
"It also means increased litigation against the healthcare sector. The implications of medical negligence lawsuits further burden an ailing healthcare system, leading to underperformance and resource depletion."
The group's demands outlined in a five-point memo were:
- Immediate employment of all medical doctors;
- Transparent workforce planning;
- Reallocation of funds to healthcare;
- Support for rural healthcare facilities; and
- Mental health support for healthcare workers.
Sithole said failure to act decisively on the demands, which they expected a response to within three days, would deepen the healthcare crisis and erode public trust in the government’s ability to protect and serve its citizens.
"The time for action is now! We will await a response to our memorandum within the premises of the building. [However], should we not [after a further] seven days, we will escalate our protest."
Medical graduates facing job shortage
In related news, Briefly News reported on a growing apprehension surrounding the shortage of public sector positions available for newly qualified doctors.
South African Medical Association (SAMA) chairperson, Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa, in a report on Tuesday, 9 January 2024, said that the problem comes in when doctors need to continue with their services.
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Source: Briefly News
