The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has confirmed that a supervisor at the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in uMlazi has been placed on precautionary suspension after the unfortunate death of a young intern doctor, Dr Alulutho Mazwi.
The 25-year-old, who was recently diagnosed with diabetes, succumbed to his illness while on duty last Monday.
It has been reported that Dr Mazwi expressed feelings of unwellness prior to his passing; however, he was allegedly instructed to continue with his work duties. This incident has raised serious concerns regarding the treatment of medical interns and their working conditions within the hospital’s environment.
MEC for Health in KwaZulu-Natal, Nomagugu Simelane-Mngadi, has urged interns at the hospital to come forward and voice their grievances, particularly in cases of perceived bullying or ill-treatment.
“Don’t complain amongst yourselves because you can’t fix the issue. If there’s anyone who is not being treated well, the head of department is there to address the issues, and my door is also open. Even if you can write me an anonymous letter, I will attend the issue,” she said.
Simelane-Mngadi added that there are 69 hospitals in the province, and they rely on workers to communicate their grievances.
“The door is not only open for interns, but also for every health worker who feels mistreated at work,” she said.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Mazwi’s uncle, Vumani Mazwi said the family is devastated because Alulutho was young and his career had just started.
Mazwi said his nephew did inform them that he was not feeling well due his medical condition.
“But what we noticed more as a family is that he missed a lot of family functions due to his working conditions.They did not permit him to attend the family functions. Last year we had a string of funerals of people who were close to him, and he didn’t attend even a single funeral,” he said.
Mazwi added that in cases where he could be home back in the Eastern Cape, he would spend a few days and rush back to KZN.
“His working conditions were very strict,” he said.
The death of Mazwi has sparked outrage and the South African Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) has called for an investigation into his death.
Samatu condemned the intern’s death, describing it as a result of “inhumane treatment.”
“Samatu in KwaZulu-Natal is saddened by the passing of a medical intern at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital who was forced to report for duty by his superiors despite his ill-health,” the union said in a statement.
“This devastating incident highlights the urgent need to address the unacceptable working conditions and treatment that most junior doctors, especially interns, are subjected to by their supervisors.”
The union noted that junior doctors often face threats of not being signed off for completing their rotations if they raise concerns. “We as doctors still ill-treat each other instead of standing in solidarity against all these challenges,” it said.
It has called for the hospital’s management to conduct a full investigation and said it remains committed to fighting for the welfare of all doctors.
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