Government must immediately reinstate fired doctors

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling on the government to immediately re-instate all doctors and interns who have been dismissed, with immediate effect, and to stop any new dismissals. The government is playing a dangerous game and if it continues along this path, it risks destroying the public sector entirely.

If the government does not stop dismissing doctors, the strike is not only set to continue, but will gain momentum as doctors down scalpels in solidarity with their colleagues. The long-term consequences in terms of loss of trust by doctors, in the system they are responsible for holding together, are enormous.

The doctor's strike has become a public relations disaster for the government, and has highlighted the disdain with which it regards doctors. It has deliberately ignored an agreement it entered into two years ago regarding the occupation specific dispensation (OSD), and it only entered into negotiations once doctors started marching.

This strike has, furthermore, highlighted how long-standing neglect of the health system has made working conditions increasingly unbearable for health professionals. There is a vacancy rate of 12 000 doctors in the public sector and remaining doctors are under even more pressure as a result.

The DA had hoped that under the Zuma government, attitudes towards health care would have changed from the Mbeki era of an iron fist to one of cooperation. Sadly this is not so.

Statement issued by Mike Waters MP, Democratic Alliance shadow minister of health, July 2 2009

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