A Gauteng gynaecologist says crushing paperwork, staff shortages and burnout are forcing doctors out of public service.
He is drowning in patients and paperwork. But, if he doesn’t do the paperwork, he runs the risk of not getting paid.
Is it any wonder, this specialist doctor asks, that he is leaving government service for greener pastures in the private sector?
A doctor who is working as a gynaecologist at one of the biggest public hospitals in Gauteng said it was the working conditions in the civil service driving him away.
“To start with, there is a lot of paper-based administrative work that a specialist working for the government has to deal with,” he said.
Paperwork, exhaustion and stress driving doctors away
“Sometimes you ignore the paperwork and attend to the many patients that are waiting for you. At a later stage, you will encounter problems because you failed to attend to the pile of documents as you were busy with patients.
“I attend to more than 40 patients a day and I am also responsible for training student doctors. But, at the end of the day, I get one salary, excluding the extra service that I offer. We are being overworked and underpaid. We have families that we need to feed.
“Another problem is that the government is always delaying in providing us with the equipment that we need as specialists. At private hospitals, you have all the equipment that you need and they pay well; they are also organised.”
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The doctor, who opted for anonymity, because he works at a government tertiary hospital, said the constant work overload leads to chronic stress, emotional exhaustion and a sense of helplessness.
He said doctors were expected to provide high-quality care in environments that often lack staff, equipment or support.
He also said the administrative burden adds to the struggle as it reduces time spent with patients and increases moral distress when a doctor knows what care should be provided but cannot deliver it consistently.
He added that working for long hours, receiving night calls and emotional exhaustion spill over into family life.
“Many doctors struggle to be fully present at home. Relationships suffer and basic self-care is often neglected. There is a persistent feeling of being on edge even when off duty.
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Specialists struggle with work-life balance
“Many trainee specialists struggle to maintain healthy family relationships due to excessive hours, frequent calls and emotional fatigue.
“There is very little time to decompress or recover.”
According to him, while not every doctor is formally diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, many experience symptoms consistent with trauma.
“Losing a mother or a baby despite your best efforts leaves a lasting psychological imprint. These events replay in your mind, affect sleep and can lead to emotional numbness.”
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