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- The Department of Health has been threatened with legal action for not placing a medical graduate at a state institution for her internship by the indicated date.
- Solidarity is representing Dr Bianca Lucas, who applied at five hospitals, but seemingly received no information about her placement for 2021.
- The department said there were holdups in terms of funding and that all outstanding placements would be finalised by Thursday.
The Department of Health (DoH) is facing legal action for allegedly "refusing" to place a medical graduate at a state facility to complete her internship and community year.
Trade union Solidarity launched the urgent legal proceedings on behalf of Dr Bianca Lucas on Thursday.
According to Solidarity, the department failed to place the young doctor, after she completed her studies, at any medical centre or hospital.
According to a lawyer's letter sent to the DoH in July, Lucas electronically applied, on the department's Internship Community Service Programme (ICSP) website, for enrolment as an intern in 2021. The ICSP required Lucas to apply in three different provinces and at five different hospitals, which she did.
Lucas received a response which indicated that her placement would be finalised by 20 November. The last communication indicated that feedback would be provided by no later than 4 December. To date, Lucas has still not been able to secure an intern post and is in limbo because she doesn't know where she will work next year.
"It is outrageous that the state will oblige young doctors to go through a process, which then is delayed by the state due to their own incompetence. Doctors are expected to complete additional internships and community years after years of study. Yet, one cannot even rely on the government to manage the basic placement within this system," said Anton van der Bijl, head of labour law services at Solidarity.
Solidarity sent a letter of demand to the DoH in which it demanded that Lucas be placed. The department was threatened with further legal action that would radically review the system.
"It is time for the state to admit that it cannot rise to the administrative challenge it has set for itself. It must relinquish its control and decentralise the system so that the private sector can step in to facilitate internships. In this way, young doctors will have the opportunity to complete their community years and enter the labour market that is experiencing a shortage. We will continue to pursue our case to force the department to meet its obligations to Dr Lucas," said Van der Bijl.
DoH spokesperson Popo Maja told News24 there were some funding hiccups in some provinces.
"That has caused a delay in the placement of some interns. All interns will be placed and receive a notification by the end of [Thursday]."
Maja said he would provide more comment later. This will be added once received.
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