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Doctors Strike

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Copper
Regular Contributor
Hi Guys. Just want to catch a snap on the forums opinion on the Public service health workers strike. Please feel free to add a comment to assist in generating a public perception. Thanks
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36 REPLIES 36
AJT
Super Contributor
think it is shocking that "professional" people put peoples lives at risk for additional money. I agree Doctors need to be paid a fair wage, but if they do not like what they are getting, it is a free market, get out there and find another job...
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barry_1
Super Contributor
Hello,i imagine they must be frustrated as the state cannot supply all the right medecines,has not enough instruments and has a shocking theft rate in hospitals.So sympathy must be felt for the doctors.In the past they were allowed to attend private patients as well,which might be a way out as they would then gain extra income and not be beholden fully on the state.Of course this should be fully controlled and a limit placed on where and when they could do this work,perhaps only outside hospital hours and premises.Not allowing doctors this choice anymore is one reason things have deteriorated so much.
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Copper
Regular Contributor
AJT - Thanks for that. Being a doctor i would like to just make an entry before any further comments are issued. namely : 1. All emergency services are operational.No one will die from not receiving medical care.They are more likely to die from poor equipment at some government hospitals. 2. The OSD salary increment was promised implementation by government 12 months ago with failure to deliver and promises to be patient. 3. Doctors are leaving in droves, those having finished community service are able to earn 100k per month doing general practice locums. 4.South African specialists are snapped up overseas causing a massive brain drain in experienced doctors. 5.IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT MONEY.. doctors have an academically longer programme than other state employees but earn less. Working conditions are generally appaling and ability to apply their skills is capped by insufficient equipment. I could go on but the list is endless.
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Copper
Regular Contributor
Ahem..Just a clarification. Point 3 - General practice locums in Ireland is 6000 euros for 2 weeks.
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tangot
Occasional Contributor
I've worked 15 years as a doctor in a government hospital and left 4 years ago not because of money but poor working conditions. With one patient I've counted 76 phone calls before I was able to transfer him to a higher level hospital to get the specialist treatment he needed. Most doctor in the government sector works up to 96 hours per week. The basic conditions of employment act is not applicable to them because they are emergency workers. I do not agree that professional people must strike but I wonder how much further things must have deteriorated to force them to such extreme actions. Most of the government doctors have restricted permits, are in training to become a specialist or are community doctors. They cannot work in private practice. They leave as soon as they can and it creates a big gap in expertise. Young inexperienced doctors have to struggle to manage patients with diseases that should have been treated at specialist level.
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raps
Frequent Contributor
It is not the doctors' who are putting lives at risk It is the government Not all of goverment doctors want to go to private...but for the sake of their families they are forced to I work a 140hr week with overtime and the goverment will only renumerate me for 80hrs...hardly fair is it When i am on call i do a minmum of 6 cases (operate). If I were in private I would earn a minimum R 60 000 for those cases. But my monthly earings amount to a princely sum after tax of R19 000. Please log on to the SAMA website look at the inderpendantly commisioned study of the disparity of earning between the various goverment occupations. Doctors are at the lowest rung. So no...I think is extremely infantile to say that doctors' are selfish
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richardw
Super Contributor
Just wondering - I have no idea about the intricacies. Why don't you move to private sector? You could then make a market-related salary and could hopefully donate time to a public hospital if you wanted to contribute?
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Not applicable
New doctors often owe the universities lots of money. It seems that a good idea would be for the state to repay the loa if the doctor does a few years service. That said doctors often charge about R200 for a few minutes. I heard that when doctors went on strike in some country (USA or Australia?) less people died. Perhaps some were dying of over medication The true worth of a person is hard to determine and a nice secretary can get lots of business for a company enabling workers to educate their children who will perhaps become doctors.
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raps
Frequent Contributor
Because private and puplic ar 2 different ball games...Public ensure that you are always involved in academia. I just feel that the patients are more grateful from the public sector. I do not want to become rich from medicine. That is why I invest in the stockmarket. Not rich yet though :)))
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jack12
Super Contributor
dunno dont get sick and if I am I dont got to them. Its like sticking your neck out to a Vampire, and then *****ing cause you got bitten. You sign an oath for humanity and then ***** about the wages. MEN OF LITTLE MORALS GIVE FEEBLE OATHS, and then I must trust him to do the best for me, Thank you but no thank you, they do not have my sympathy
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Russ
Super Contributor
I totally support their action.Considering their qualifications their pay and working conditions are atrocious.
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richardw
Super Contributor
Thing is - it seems like they're sucking you dry and you'll always be hoping for more money.

But I do get it. My g/f was a physio. She enjoyed public more, because she felt she was doing something useful. Private just sucked because people forgot about appointments and were getting their hair done etc. So she left, but might do some pro bono work. The system is built to chase the good people away, or work you into the ground and then chase you away.
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jack12
Super Contributor
How would you feel if Mother Theresa or the Pope went on strike, or your Priest or maybe your parents? Or how would it feel to have an accident and end up at the hospital while the Doctors are out to strike? How would you feel to come home and your parents say were on strike? I think if you are prepared to strike you should not have taken the job in the first place. And think about the OATH that you took?? In my opinion weak character, weak disipline. They should take away your degree. Remember you took that job because you loved it and you wanted to help people, so go and help the people. You have the will power to change your cercumstance, you do not need the weakness of mass action. Go and listen to the Potato farmer, go and be a man, go and make a decision by yourself for yourself. Strikers are like dogs looking to their masters for the next order. You decide what you want to be, I know which side I would choose
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CHATTYCHAT
Super Contributor
Got some value adding responses here! IMIO the situation is symptomatic of the Governments inability to provide a working enviro where professionals could live there passion. The normal consultation on this matter got stuck in mud for some years, now. Now the medical profession has to make themselves heard, albeit in a non conventional way, following the route that has before lead activist to succeed in their negotiations. In the FS each year's current budget must pay for the previous years' back log on unpaid accounts for supplies. The social health system is overwhelmed by the poor - also patients from across border, parisiting on the RSA resources - and resources are not being replenished. I'm afraid, and this goes beyond this discussion, that this country has already gone beyond the point of return to a fair balance between supply and demand - which has got everything to do with too many people and too little resources (like: too many mouths lapping at the same water source).
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tangot
Occasional Contributor
As far as I am aware the last Hippocrates oath took by doctors was in 1990. Those docs have left the country long ago.
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jack12
Super Contributor
I agree, this has been for the last 50 years Doctors and Teachers and salaries. When the Gov spends more on creating employment and less on freebees and pilfering, more will be spent and more gained by all.
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raps
Frequent Contributor
Fisrt you draw an analogy between vampires and doctors.. Then Mother Thersa, The Pope and doctors.. Are you confused? Or are you just stupid?
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Not applicable
When Health workers strike, it is the same as when Priests strike, first it is all about passion then money. how do I trust a person like that with my health. They put money first, health last. I would pay them last but seeing the work they deal with and considering the payment that politician take home, they then deserve more than they are crying for.
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jack12
Super Contributor
Do we get our money back if they dont fix the problems, I think not!!they just bury us and tell our reletives that are so sorry but they did everything possible.
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