Jobless Doctors in KZN Protest at Provincial Health Office
A group of unemployed KwaZulu-Natal doctors staged a sit-in outside the provincial health department’s headquarters in Pietermaritzburg on Monday.
The doctors, who recently completed their community service, planned to continue the demonstration overnight and “escalate” their protest if their demands were not met within seven days.
Earlier, about 150 young doctors, dismayed over the lack of employment opportunities, marched to the Natalia building to hand over a memorandum.
“Despite our qualifications and training, we are being forced to take to the streets to demand that our government provide us with the jobs we need to serve our communities.
“We believe that the recurring phenomenon of doctors protesting for jobs at the beginning of every year is a clear indication of poor planning and negligence on the part of our government,” said the doctors in a statement.
They said the situation was unacceptable and “reflects a blatant disregard for the wellbeing of both healthcare professionals and the patients we serve”.
“The understaffing of public healthcare facilities has severe consequences for patients, who are often forced to wait for extended periods etc. We view this predicament as an emergency and a violation of basic human rights that must be swiftly corrected.”
Among the doctors’ demands, listed in the memorandum handed over to the KwaZulu-Natal premier’s chief of staff on Monday, is the immediate employment of all doctors.
“The government must ensure the immediate employment of all unemployed medical doctors, irrespective of their bursary status.”
The doctors want transparent workforce planning.
“A comprehensive, long-term and sustainable plan to address the shortage of medical doctors is urgently needed. This plan should include accurate projections of workforce needs, improved resource allocation, and strategies to retain doctors, particularly in underserved areas.”
They also demanded a reallocation of funds for health care.
“The government must urgently reallocate unspent or misappropriated funds to employ healthcare professionals. An independent audit of healthcare budgets should be conducted to ensure transparency and accountability.”
Support for rural healthcare facilities was another demand.
“Special incentives must be introduced to attract and retain doctors in rural areas.”
The doctors also called for mental support for healthcare workers.
“Immediate steps must be taken to provide mental health support for overburdened doctors, including counselling services.”
The doctors said the government could not continue to shirk its constitutional and moral obligations.
“We are ready and willing to serve our communities, but we need the government to meet us halfway by providing the necessary support and employment opportunities. Failure to act decisively on these demands will not only deepen the healthcare crisis but will also 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. Should we not get a response within seven days we will escalate our protest.”
The doctors said the government’s suggestion that they should seek employment in the private sector or overseas “is not only insensitive but also a gross abdication of responsibility”.
“Such a stance flies in the face of section 27 of then constitution, which guarantees everyone the right to access health care. By failing to employ available medical doctors, the government is effectively denying this constitutional right to millions of South Africans.
“The issue of unemployed doctors is not just about numbers; it is about lives. Behind every statistic is a patient waiting for care, a doctor under immense pressure and a family devastated by preventable loss.
“In rural and underserved areas, where healthcare disparities are most pronounced, the situation is even more critical. These regions desperately need additional doctors, yet government inaction leaves communities without adequate care while qualified doctors sit idle,” they said.
Acting on behalf of the provincial government and the premier, the chief of staff in the office of the premier, Brian Ntuli, accepted and acknowledged the memorandum from the unemployed doctors.
