Mpilo Hospital Doctors To Continue Attending To Patients - Mpilo Hospital Director

The Mpilo Hospital Clinical Director spoke to Sunday News and told him that of the 204 doctors stationed at one of the country’s largest hospitals, 144 doctors are reporting for duty. Dr Ngwenya further added that his staff will continue attending to patients and won’t watch as patients perish in hospital.

Dr Ngwenya said this to the publication:

I am proud of the doctors and other staff at Mpilo. About 71 percent of doctors across all grades are at work. We have eight who are on leave and 52 doctors who are on strike. While we cannot operate as smoothly as we would wish, we are still able to attend to everyone who comes to the hospital. We attend to over 200 patients every day. We have 600 patients admitted to various wards and they are all getting medical care.

We have the maternity wing operating fully and we deliver about 30 babies a day with about 10 deliveries through Caesarean operations. This should tell you that we are really doing our best under the circumstances. Whether the doctors who are at work are happy or not is neither here nor there. What is important is that they are dedicated to their work and are on the ground helping people.

Dr Ngwenya’s remarks are coming 63 days into the junior doctors’ strike as the physician demand fair wages pegged against the interbank rate to cushion themselves from inflation. The govt on Friday reportedly fired all striking doctors for taking the industrial action against their employer. 

More: Sunday News