GroundUp reports that the SA Medical Association (SAMA) and public interest law firm Section 27 have warned that the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) health system is in dire straits.  

On May 5, over a thousand health workers marched in Durban to highlight the crisis.  A memo, addressed to MEC for Health Sibongiseni Dhlomo, listed many problems, such as a shortage of staff caused by “unfunded, frozen and abolished posts”, an overtime policy that SAMA and unions have not agreed to, failures with equipment procurement, shortages of supplies, problems with medical records, and poor management.  On Monday, Section 27 said it had “received reports that Inkosi Albert Luthuli and Addington Hospitals are no longer able to effectively treat cancer patients due to equipment breakdowns and a shortage of specialists.  Air-conditioning machines are not being repaired resulting in surgeries being cancelled or hospital infections.”  The Health Professions Council of SA has apparently warned several departments that they will lose their accreditation to train specialists in the current situation.  The Department of Health said the concerns raised by SAMA were being discussed, with a solution still underway.

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