In the tragic theatre of Western Cape's health system, budget cuts take their toll, forcing a dramatic reduction in daily surgeries, causing a backlog of thousands, and turning what were once elective procedures into urgent medical emergencies.
About 100 doctors who completed their community service working for the health department say they have been kicked to the curb.The doctors, together with other allied health professionals who have also not had their contracts renewed, were the province’s carefully selected bursary recipients for medical training and completed their community service in public hospitals across the province.
They thought their prayers were answered when they scored permanent jobs at the Eastern Cape department of health late in 2023. last year. But 59 newly appointed workers in the struggling department have been left in limbo for in the past two months after the department failed to pay their salaries.
Eastern Cape MEC for Health Nomakhosazana Meth has reported managers at the department’s shared call centre for allowing vital software licences to lapse.