More than 80 community service doctors in the Western Cape were represented by more than 1 000 doctors in a national strike in Gauteng today.
Doctors from four provinces gathered to meet at the Heartfelt arena in Pretoria today to petition on behalf of unemployed doctors in South Africa.
Dr Cedrick Sihlangu, the general secretary of the South African Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) said more than 1 000 South African doctors gathered from all provinces in Pretoria to the national department of health in aims to march against the unemployment of doctors.
“The march was represented by doctors from Gauteng, KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape and the Western Cape. There is currently a shortage of doctors in this country when there are many unemployed and qualified ones, who are ready and equipped.
“The department has not made provisions for unemployed doctors when the country is in dire need,” he said.
Sihlangu said that of the many unemployed doctors who were represented, over 80 doctors are from the Western Cape who are community service doctors and have not been placed as permanent medical doctors in the province.
“Over 80 community service doctors in the Western Cape have not been employed as permanent medical doctors, the excuse of the department is that they have budget constraints because the financial year has not ended. The Western Cape health department has said they can only place them from April,” he said.
The Western Cape health department has said that for it to employ doctors, there must be a vacancy to do so.
“There are medical officers’ posts vacant, and recruitment is commencing and are in various stages of being filled.
“The Department has currently filled all the vacant posts for interns and community service doctors. These placements are done nationally from a central database by Department of Health.
“Interns or community service doctors who are still unplaced are encouraged to alert the National Department of Health of this issue,” The Western Cape health department said.