Several KwaZulu-Natal doctors who failed to heed a Labour Court interdict ordering them to abandon their strike and return to work were dismissed on Monday, the provincial health department said.

On Saturday the Labour Court in Durban granted the health department an interim interdict forcing health workers to return to work.

But the doctors continued with their strike on Monday, saying they will continue with the strike until their demands were met.

Ultimatum

"We have given doctors an ultimatum... several doctors have received dismissal letters but we gave them an option to indicate reasons why the department should take them back," said Nhlanhla Nkosi, chief operating officer in the KZN health department.

He could however not divulge the number of doctors dismissed, saying "we started the process yesterday so we are still looking at the numbers".

"We don't want to end up dismissing doctors who were on leave or working different shifts at the time head counts were conducted," he said.

The SABC earlier reported that the department dismissed 226 doctors.

The department had also reported the doctors involved to the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) to inform them that the doctors' "actions were not in keeping with the oath they took... with polices of the practice".

"Health is an essential service and when not provided it compromises the health and safety of the community. Patients have a right to health," he said.

Democratic Alliance health spokespersoan John Steenhuisen said it was "sheer lunacy" that the health department could even consider dismissing doctors.

"Despite the seriousness of the situation, the fact remains that the province is facing a critical shortage of doctors, particularly in urban areas — who will replace them if they are dismissed?"

Steenhuisen said the strike had been "a long time coming" and called the government's latest offer to doctors "unsatisfactory".

Negotiating table

"Clearly government has not met their needs. We urge all parties to return to the negotiating table, in good faith, so that the issue can be resolved once and for all. South Africa cannot afford to lose more good doctors."

He said while his party remained sympathetic to the plight of doctors in the province, the interdict stated that they must return to work and the rule of law must be obeyed.

Spokesperson Chris Maxon said the department was doing head counts to see which doctors had defied the court order. He said he was not aware of any doctor who had been suspended for taking part in the strike.

Doctors at several hospitals countrywide embarked on an illegal strike earlier this month in protest against the delay in applying their occupational specific dispensation, an adjustment of salary grades for public servants.

Durban was the most affected by the strike.

Sapa

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