’We only want to serve our communities’ – unemployed KZN doctors protest in PMB
A group of young, unemployed KZN doctors have accused the government of denying them the chance to give back to their communities.
They are among a crowd of medical professionals who protested outside the KZN Department of Health’s offices in Pietermaritzburg on Monday morning.
They are also complaining about unskilled personnel being placed in higher positions and corruption in the sector.
The young doctors were armed with a memorandum of demands, which they also planned to hand over to the premier's office.
They say they are ready to help alleviate the staff shortages at hospitals and clinics, but the government is not willing.
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"We've been told to open private practices, which doesn't serve our communities or, so we were told to go overseas, which again doesn't serve our communities,” said one of the protestors, Dr Saneliswa Shozi.
“So, we are here as South African doctors who very much want to serve South African citizens, and that is the problem, that our government is not affording us the opportunity. We do not want anything except to help the people of South Africa which brings us now to the road."
Dr Pamela Jali said her passion and dreams of helping improve the health system are being delayed.
"I absolutely did not expect this. It comes as a shock. It comes as a stress not only to myself but also to my parents. There were so many expectations, and now you can’t do anything. You sit at home. You watch the sun rise and fall. It’s so depressing."
Last week, Health Minister Joe Phaahla said they were working to address budgetary constraints in the department.
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