DOC-U-MENTALLY

DOC-U-MENTALLY 

5 Doctors from 5 different cultures on call, a 30 hour shift, in rural KwaZulu-Natal are followed around to showcase the intensity of their jobs and emotional strength needed to endure. Are they crazy, superheroes or somewhere in between?

The average person works from 08h00 to 17h00. This is a standard 9 hour workday. It equates to 45 hours a week and 195 hours per month. Doctors in South Africa can work up to DOUBLE that, working up to 200 overtime hours per month. When a doctor is on call it means they are there from 08h00 in the morning and stay there working until the next day at 08h00. This means a shift of 24 hours at least, sometimes it stretches to 30 hours. Being on call is such a heavy responsibility on the doctors’ behalf. To stay awake during the entire shift, work effectively, make the right decisions and maintain a positive attitude towards patients takes intelligence and a lot of emotional and physical strength.