Chairperson, the ID expresses its objection and disappointment at the decision of the KwaZulu-Natal provincial department of health to fire 226 striking doctors this week.
Whilst we do not condone the defiance of the court order on the part of the doctors, the ID calls on government to reinstate all 226 doctors immediately. We do not believe that this action on the part of government will serve as a solution in any way whatsoever to the ongoing crisis in the health care sector.
Government should think carefully about where they will find doctors to replace those they have fired, as well as the cost of employing foreign doctors, especially when there is already such a dire shortage of doctors in the public health care sector.
Instead of fighting each other, we should recognise that a solution can only be found if public sector doctors and government unite to find a solution in the interests of the thousands of innocent patients who are already suffering the consequences of a poorly serviced public health care sector. I thank you.