The South African Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) has raised concern that doctors who have completed community service face unemployment next year.
Vice-chairperson and spokesperson of the South African Medical Association Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa said the country’s medical fraternity is undergoing a brain drain.
Mzukwa said the employment struggles new doctors face locally are pushing them to find opportunities abroad.
Samatu said the doctors had told the union that the Department of Health was unable to place them in the public sector due to not having enough funds.
However, the department said it had not been approached by the doctors directly and would assist those that met the minimum requirements.
There is trouble brewing over the placement of post-community service doctors, once again with at least 225 facing unemployment come January.
Problem with finding posts for new doctors are perennial in South Africa, and Mzukwa said this is a serious concern as there is a shortage of doctors in the country.
“We are also preparing for the NHI [National Health Insurance]. Our understanding is we should be making sure there’s enough personnel on the ground.”
Samatu secretary-general Dr Cedric Sihlangu said the 400 doctors approached the union because they had been applying for posts but had not found placement in the public sector.
“We are facing a national problem. Doctors complete their studies, then do the two-year internship and one year community service. The Department of Health should be placing the doctors in the public sector, however, they are being told that there are budget constraints and can’t be placed and here we are faced with a situation where 400 doctors are going to be unemployed.”
Sihlangu added that while the doctor’s could apply to work in the private sector or work as general practitioners, they wanted to work in the public sector.
“We must remember there is a shortage of doctors in the public health-care system and we definitely need more doctors to be employed. This will help ease the pressure on government hospitals which are understaffed.”
Source: Eyewitness News, IOL, image from Twitter: @TheTruthPanther