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City Press reports that junior doctors across SA endure grueling working conditions in the public health sector, raising urgent concerns about their wellbeing and safety.
They report exhaustion, lack of support and unsafe workloads. The recent death of intern Dr Alulutho Mazwi has renewed calls for accountability and change to the prevailing dangerous and inhumane working conditions many junior doctors are subjected to. Mazwi, who was stationed in the paediatrics department at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Umlazi, Durban, died while on duty on 12 May. The hospital’s Thabiso Mbanjwa advised that senior managers at the facility were still investigating the death of the intern. Junior doctors, fresh from university, are thrown in at the deep end and expected to manage overwhelming workloads with little support or rest. Ayanda Thanjekwayo, an intern doctor at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, described the environment as “emotionally and physically draining”. She indicated: “There are days when the exhaustion is so overwhelming that I fear making critical mistakes. We entered this profession to help people, but the system is failing us and, in turn, we’re at risk of failing our patients.” Another intern echoed similar concerns: “The workload is relentless, and the support is minimal. It’s a constant struggle to maintain both our physical health and mental wellbeing.” The SA Medical Association (Sama) and the Public Servants Association (PSA) have called for urgent interventions to overhaul the intern training structure, improve mental health support and ensure that no doctor was compelled to work while seriously ill.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Bongiwe Radebe at City Press (subscription / trial registration required)
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