Sama: Doctors the collateral damage in failing public healthcare system

The South African Medical Association (Sama) on Thursday questioned why no “MEC or director-general of health‚ neither nationally nor provincially…have or will ever face sanction” with the Health Profession Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

Sama‚ in a statement‚ noted the “recent spate of summary suspensions of doctors in various provinces related to alleged instances of patient mismanagement”.

“Sama has always maintained that it is doctors who are the collateral damage in the failing public healthcare system‚” the statement said‚ and it “is the doctor who ultimately faces sanction at the HPCSA”.

“The guilt or innocence of doctors in the public sector needs to be contextualised in a system where many of our members work to maintain a semblance of service to our people under challenging conditions‚” Sama said

Health MECs and director-generals‚ despite the “fact that they are the political custodians of the system in which doctors work…in reality have very little say”.

“No responsibility is taken – instead the blame is ceded to doctors‚” Sama added.

“Sama believes in an accessible and quality healthcare system for all however the custodians of the system as well as doctors are equally responsible — doctors cannot be the convenient scapegoats for its failures.”

On the “summary suspensions” of doctors in state facilities‚ Sama said: “If our members are truly guilty of misconduct‚ then it is the HPCSA and a committee of peers to decide said guilt‚ not an MEC or DG.”