‘They are money monsters’
Early on Tuesday, September 27, close to 40 doctors and staff drew up a memorandum they wanted to hand over to the CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Ms Tuseletso Rakometsi of the hospital.
Doctors from Witbank Hospital took to the parking lot to voice their dissatisfaction with the new payment options.
Early on Tuesday, September 27, close to 40 doctors and staff drew up a memorandum they wanted to hand over to the CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Ms Tuseletso Rakometsi of the hospital. Around 07:00, everyone who signed the petition was in the parking lot, awaiting response.
The bus with close to 40 doctors who were all against the new contract to be in effect from October 1. They all gathered at Witbank Hospital on Tuesday, 27 September.
“Although there are only approximately 40 people present now, we had 75 signatures, which means there are at least 35 doctors currently in Witbank Hospital, attending to patients and making sure that everything still runs smoothly,” one of the doctors stated.
The dissatisfaction of the doctors rose when they had to sign a new contract which stated that their commuted overtime, which makes up around 30% of their monthly salary, will now only be available on claims.
“If we work overtime, we have to fill in a form as proof. This gets approved and after roughly six months, this money will then only be paid to us. Where we have been working on the system where our commuted overtime and salary was combined for 20 years. From October 1 this will no longer be the case. We work long hours and we do not mind, as we are saving people’s lives. But as individuals, we have obligations to meet and families to take care of. Waiting six months for payment is outrageous,” the doctor continued.
Some of the doctors who gathered at Witbank Hospital on Tuesday, 27 September to show their feelings about the new contract to be imposed from October 1.
According to information, the deal is on national level and the HOD (Head of Department) of the Mpumalanga Province approved it.
“We heard of these new developments, 10 days before implementation which leaves us hardly any time to oppose the matter. The doctors in this hospital are working under miserable conditions, with a lack of resources, and now our money is also going to be tampered with,” another anonymous doctor stated.
Dr Johannes Hlongwane, HOD at Witbank Hospital addressed the doctors, saying that he does not have any news from the CEO, although messages were sent the previous night. In these messages, the CEO stipulated that things will get nasty if the doctors continue to oppose this matter, to which Dr Hlongwane merely stated that he can not do and say much at this stage.
Dissatisfaction filled the air as doctors said that it will not help them if they only state the obvious and get to no conclusion. The memorandum was handed over to the personal assistant of the CEO. A meeting was held on Wednesday, September 28, but the outcome is still unknown.
The CEO of Witbank Hospital also mentioned that the doctors must write a grievance with their problems and it will be sorted out accordingly.
WITBANK NEWS still awaits further information.
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