A nation that makes a habit of neglecting its doctors is one that is prepared to put the lives of its people in danger, and the Gauteng health department's flops are proving this point with alarming clarity.
The Sunday Times reported that some doctors in the public sector have not been paid, are overworked, with some humiliated into having to prove they exist, and they are not compensated for overtime.
At Chris Hani Baragwanath, Charlotte Maxeke, George Mukhari and other facilities, doctors have allegedly not been paid their salaries for months and have been asked to re-sign contracts under duress. This comes at a personal cost, with some of the doctors reportedly turning to banks for loans which have been declined because they could not prove they have an income, as none had been coming into their bank accounts.
What a sad state of affairs. Doctors have to hustle for money to go to work in a public hospital. How do you treat a patient with empathy and kindness while worrying about how you will get home? And no, this is not due to their poor financial management decisions or habits, this is because the government has not paid them their salary.
Over and above basic wages, commuted overtime of up to 80 hours a month keeps medical care centres from buckling under pressure. It is the glue that continues to hold the crumbling health system together.
A sector mired in corruption, dysfunction and mismanagement treating doctors as expendable staff members and not essential workers is a recipe for disaster.
A country that is in the process of implementing National Health Insurance should be working to give the public confidence that it can handle the load and is willing to run a tight ship.
Once implemented, it will not matter that some professionals have opted for the private sector, thus giving a glimpse that this problem will most certainly spill into that area.
Delays in health care will cost lives, and it does not help that those entrusted with the role are being mistreated. The chaos should be solved before it starts bleeding into patient care
Adding pressure to the wound, the country is seeing an embarrassing habit where, year in and year out, newly qualified doctors are not being placed in jobs.
This is not a theoretical problem but a threat to the country's sustainability. Medical care is not a moral commitment but a necessary and important role of government. We have seen what happens when mismanagement is allowed to fester.
Life Esidimeni remains a dent — a stark example of what shortcuts and poor accountability lead to.
Delays in health care will cost lives, and it does not help that those entrusted with the role are being mistreated. The chaos should be solved before it starts bleeding into patient care.
If these doctors stop working overtime, lose morale and stop caring, trouble will follow. Doctors are not asking for special treatment; they are asking to be paid for what they have worked for and to be treated with dignity. As such, a political overhaul is necessary to avert a disaster.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.