Union demands more doctors be employed in Limpopo

Members of the trade union, South African Medical Association (SAMATU) in Limpopo, have marched and submitted a memorandum in Polokwane to demand the employment of doctors.

The union says that doctors, including those funded by the Department of Health for their studies, remain unemployed.

They are demanding the employment of 150 medical doctors while the Health Department has advertised 50 positions.

SAMATU provincial treasurer Dr Rivoni Nemaungani says they are also unhappy about the state of hospitals and shifts systems.

“Our concerns are many, we are unhappy first of all with the state of health in the Department of Health, Limpopo. We have too many doctors, 150 to be exact, who are unemployed. These are doctors that have been funded by the Department of Health. Many of them have been funded by this scheme of the Department of Health to go to school because there is a shortage. We are also unhappy with the state of our hospitals. Many of them are completely dysfunctional with very little staff to man the work that has to be done.”

Meanwhile, Limpopo’s Health Department spokesperson Neil Shikwambana says they have advertised 54 posts for medical doctors in the province.

“Our challenge from the past few years with regard to employment of healthcare workers is the issue of budget, the issue of cutting the budget and all those things contributed but also the fact that as a department from time to time looking at the resources that we have. We always have to cut according to the size in terms of requirements. I think the Department will respond based on what it is actually able to do from here going forward.”