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Psychiatrists Support ‘Rebel’ Doctors

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The South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP) in the Eastern Cape Province recently pledged its support to the doctors of the Port Elizabeth Hospital Complex (PEHC) who spoke out openly about the crisis in health care service delivery in Port Elizabeth.

SASOP said; “Being mindful that a progressively deteriorating health care crisis exists across the whole of the Eastern Cape, SASOP understands that doctors were forced into a position where they had to risk their careers by standing up for the rights of patients. We therefore commend all doctors and other health professionals who strive to deliver quality health care services to the people of the Eastern Cape in the face of crippling staff and resource shortages.

“SASOP also expresses its concern at the fact that staff and resource shortages have for far too long not been addressed effectively in a proactive and systematic enough manner to help meet the Eastern Cape Department of Health’s long term objective of equal, high quality health care to all the people of the province.

“A crisis of this magnitude could have been averted through better budget, infrastructure and human resource planning. Lack of decisive, effective solutions to these issues has far reaching consequences that will be difficult for the Eastern Cape Provincial Government to reverse. Not only do these deficiencies directly affect the health of the people negatively by resulting in fewer health professionals on the ground, they also have serious repercussions for the recruitment and retention of all categories of health professionals, as well as the capacity for teaching and training of medical students, junior doctors and medical registrars (trainee specialists).

“We highlight one example of how mental health care services have been negatively affected in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro: outreach mental health care services by the PEHC to five large clinics have had to be suspended since April 2012. This includes halting the outreach service for children with mental health problems. Many people, including between fifty and sixty children who were helped by this service every month are now left without specialised mental health care.

“SASOP urges the Eastern Cape Provincial Government to take urgent steps to address the crisis in health care service delivery across the Eastern Cape, and in particular in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. The harm done to the health of the people of the Eastern Cape everyday this crisis remains unsolved is immeasurable.”

Related: 80% of SA’s Population Serviced by 18% of SA’s Doctors | East Cape Doctors draw the line in the sand with Health Department | Three Doctors Singled out for Misconduct Investigation

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.