The Eastern Cape, one of South Africa's most under-resourced provinces, is facing a healthcare crisis that has far-reaching implications for its citizens and medical professionals alike.
The doctors, many of whom studied under taxpayer-funded bursaries, are frustrated and disheartened. After years of rigorous training, they are unable to serve the very communities that invested in their education.
The doctors, who represent a critical link in the province’s healthcare system, are demanding sustainable employment opportunities from the Eastern Cape Department of Health.
Their concerns not only reflect personal struggles but also expose cracks in the provincial healthcare system, which is already buckling under the strain of being understaffed, having limited resources and rising patient demand.
On January 20, unemployed doctors in the Eastern Cape gathered in a peaceful march from Dukumbana, Bhisho, to the Office of the Premier at Lilian Diedrecks House.
Their demands were clear:
1. Address the issue of unemployed doctors.
2. Create sustainable employment opportunities in healthcare.
3. Improve the overall quality of healthcare delivery in the province.
Patients are waiting up to 16 hours to see a doctor at facilities like Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha. This delay compromises health outcomes and increases the risk of errors stemming from overworked and overstressed medical staff.
The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has raised alarm bells, citing that 450 doctors who completed community service are unemployed, highlighting the lack of strategy by the National Department of Health (NDoH) to retain them. Despite multiple Ministers acknowledging the issue, no concrete plan has been developed to address this persistent issue.
In the Eastern Cape alone, approximately 150 doctors have been left jobless, with some waiting over a year for placement.
The Eastern Cape’s healthcare system struggles to provide adequate care for its residents. Doctor-to-patient ratios as high as 1:1,000 in some areas - far above the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 1:600 - are dire.
Why are doctors unemployed?
The unemployment of doctors in South Africa, particularly in the Eastern Cape, stems from several systemic issues:
Budget constraints and austerity measures
The Eastern Cape Department of Health has attributed the lack of doctor placements to insufficient funds.
A circular issued in December 2024 instructed post-community service personnel to be released from their duties due to budgetary constraints.
These austerity measures, implemented by the National Treasury, have left healthcare facilities unable to hire essential staff.
Migration of healthcare workers
The frustration of being unemployed has pushed many doctors to seek opportunities abroad. South Africa is already grappling with a “brain drain” in the medical field as skilled professionals migrate to countries with better pay, working conditions, and stability.
This exodus further exacerbates the shortage of healthcare practitioners in underserved areas like the Eastern Cape.
Mismanagement and delayed responses
Protesters, including spokespersons like Dr Philisiwe Ngcai, have expressed disappointment in the provincial government’s lack of urgency. Despite multiple attempts to engage with authorities, their grievances have gone unanswered.
This perceived apathy has fuelled public outrage and drawn support from organisations like the South African Medical Association Trade Union (SAMATU) and the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA).
The consequences of this crisis extend far beyond the unemployed doctors themselves. For patients, the shortage of medical professionals means delayed diagnoses, prolonged suffering and, in some cases, preventable deaths.
Healthcare workers who remain in the system face burnout as they shoulder the workload of multiple practitioners.
According to news reports, Dr Philisiwe Ngcai, a spokesperson for the protesting doctors, emphasised that repeated attempts to engage with the Department of Health have been ignored.
According to Dr Ntombizanele Takayi, who completed her community service at Dora Nginza Hospital in Gqeberha, the department's decision to terminate contracts due to a lack of funds has been both "frustrating and disheartening."
Organisations like SAMATU and DENOSA have joined the unemployed doctors in their call for immediate government intervention.
Their demands include exempting the Department of Health from treasury-imposed austerity measures and prioritising the allocation of resources to healthcare.
For the doctors affected, it is a matter of livelihood and purpose; for patients, it is a matter of life and death.
Addressing this crisis is not just about creating jobs - it is about restoring dignity to the healthcare system and ensuring that every citizen has access to the care they deserve.
As the protesters continue their fight, their voices echo a powerful message: health is a human right, and it is time for South Africa to prioritise it.