Martin Endjala
A group of medical interns practising at Windhoek Central Hospital and Katutura Hospital has threatened to work only the standard hours outlined in the Labour Act, citing poor working conditions and inadequate compensation.
Sam Endjala, a third-year medical intern, expressed frustration over their treatment.
“We can no longer go on living like slaves of the industry. We also deserve decent compensation and a favourable working environment because the current status quo is affecting the mental health of medical doctor interns due to stress on the job, among other things,” he said.
The interns delivered a petition to the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) on Tuesday, threatening to stop working overtime unless their demands were satisfied.
According to the group’s representative Linford Rhodes, this will involve strict adherence to a standard work schedule of Monday to Friday, limited to 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week, with no after-hours duties.
“For an extended period, healthcare workers and medical practitioners have endured challenging conditions, including inadequate equipment, staff shortages, and a lack of training and development opportunities,” he said.
According to Rhodes, their demand stems from the Labour Commissioner’s 14 November 2023 arbitration award, which declared professional medical intern doctors to be employees.
“We have accepted these conditions out of a sense of patriotism and commitment to public service. However, our willingness to adapt appears to have fostered a sense of complacency among management, leading to a situation where substandard conditions are now seen as acceptable,” he said.
The Minister of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) at the time argued that doctors under training do not qualify for overtime pay as they are not considered government employees.
He, however, noted that after the arbitration award was made, the ministry conceded and did not proceed with challenging the matter, as this determination affirms that professional medical intern doctors are entitled to overtime compensation.
Despite numerous engagements, Rhodes said the OPM and MoHSS have not implemented this arbitration award.
“It is essential to note that the award impacts not only the doctors who brought the matter before the Labour Commissioner but all doctors under professional training, as they work under identical conditions and employment contracts,” he said.
The group consists of second and third-year medical interns.
They are also demanding access to medical aid, respecting interns’ need for privacy and confidentiality in a high-risk healthcare environment, as well as overtime payment.
Third-year medical interns are demanding transparency on the decision-making process and legal grounds for reducing their allowance without new contractual agreements.
“Should our concerns not be addressed within the specified time frame of five working days from 19-25 November, we will be left with no choice but to exercise our rights under the Labour Act, 2007 (Act 11 of 2007),” read the petition.
The OPM’s deputy executive director, Romanus Kawana received the petition and promised to deliver it to the relevant authorities.
