News24 reports that about 100 healthcare workers marched to the Union Buildings on Monday to demand jobs and call for a health budget increase.

This came a week after Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla said, in response to President Cyril Ramaphosa's State of the Nation Address, that the department would be outlining the plans and timelines for the recruitment of healthcare workers, including recently graduated health professionals and unemployed doctors. The Union Buildings were under police guard on Monday when the marchers arrived as they sang revolutionary songs and held placards that read: "Doctors on the streets while patients are dying in queues," and: "We serve the community, employ the doctors." A memorandum was handed over to an official from the Presidency. The demands included a call for no national budget cuts for healthcare, instead of which there should be a budget increase for the health sector to accommodate all unemployed healthcare workers. The protestors also demanded full-time work with full pay and benefits, and sought a database of all healthcare workers completing community service coupled with plans to place them. Currently, there are 645 unemployed junior doctors who are still waiting to be placed by the National Department of Health after completing their community service in December.

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

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