SABC News reports that doctors in Eastern Cape are calling on the provincial government to address staff shortages that continue to plague the Department. The public sector doctors and nurses say they are overburdened amid a shortage of staff members. The Doctors were hosted by the Provincial Department in East London in celebration of the inaugural Doctors’ Day in the province.

Dr Bulelwa Mzileni says medical professionals would like for the government to prioritise their safety at public healthcare facilities. “We would love for the government to attend to that so that we can work freely and do what we are supposed to do without worrying about our safety,” she says. Meanwhile, Eastern Cape Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa says while they are trying to create a conducive working environment for their doctors, they are paying attention to the under-staffing issues that are crippling the Department.

“The department is unable to hire at this current moment. Remember in the beginning there was a shortage of doctors but now the government took students to universities and therefore we have a surplus of doctors.” “It’s no longer a shortage of doctors and as a result, it has an impact on us. We want to employ those doctors but to be able to do that we need to first address challenges we have,” adds Capa.

by Sidima Mfeku