Reuters reports that the SA Medical Association (SAMA) threatened on Thursday to take the government to court because scores of new junior doctors cannot find work placements.

SAMA said it was "scandalous" that, during a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, 228 medical interns, who graduated in March and April, were waiting for the government to place them at public health facilities to complete their training. SAMA chairperson Angelique Coetzee said the interns were supposed to all have been placed by Thursday and, because of how the training cycle works, they would have to wait a year to find internships if they were not placed this week. SAMA would have no option but to seek a court order to force the government into action, if it did not comply, she said. Hospitals have faced persistent staff shortages during the pandemic, and doctors and nurses complain of being understaffed and working long shifts, yet dozens of junior doctors remain out of work because of budget constraints. "Doctors are overworked and fatigued, and many are facing mental and physical burnout," Coetzee stated.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard at News24

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