2 medical interns not paid since January to finally get salaries after 'administrative challenge'

• Two interns working at 2 Military Hospital in Wynberg have not been paid since January.
• They downed tools on Thursday.
• According to the SANDF, an "administrative challenge" caused the situation.

Two medical interns who have not been paid since starting their service at 2 Military Hospital in Wynberg in January will finally receive their salaries after the South African National Defence Force said an "administrative challenge" led to the situation.

The Cape Times on Monday reported that two interns had told the publication that they were frontline workers who put their lives at risk amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last Thursday they downed tools.

One told the newspaper that none of the interns had been paid and that they were given new excuses and promises were made weekly. They work from 07:00 to 17:00, with two calls of at least 26 hours on an average week.

The student said they had also not been vaccinated and had not been able to self-register as they did not have full medical practice licensing numbers as they were "only" medical doctor interns.

The second student told the Cape Times their complaints were ignored. After they decided to stop working until the issue was resolved, the move was met with hostility as well as a meeting with the chief executive and hospital management team.

According to the intern, there were no concrete resolutions and they were told to return to work as it was illegal for doctors to strike.

SANDF spokesperson Brigadier General Mafi Mgobozi told News24 an internal investigation into the two medical interns' situation was owing to an "administrative challenge".

"This challenge has since been identified and rectified to avoid a similar situation in the future. The affected interns will be paid their due salaries with effect from 30 April 2021 backdated to 1 January 2021," he said.

"The administrative challenge is highly regretted and in addressing the situation, [a recommendation was] made to ensure that there is no repeat of a similar unfortunate situation in the future."

According to Mgobozi, a proposal would be made to the national Department of Health to have or consent to registering two South African Military Health Services senior staff officers - on Colonel rank level - in its Internship and Community Service Programme. This "as a mechanism to ensure collaboration between the SANDF and [national health department] in future with regards to internship deployments and related HR matters".   

"The SANDF views the situation as an unfortunate and regrettable incident that has financially disadvantaged the interns in question."

Questions regarding their vaccination had not yet been answered. This comment will be added once received.