The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has expressed concerns about the continuous shortage of medical doctors, while more than 800 doctors are unemployed.
SAMA’s Chairperson, Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa said the public healthcare system is failing to create internships for doctors who studied locally and those who studied outside the country.
“There were 827 medical doctors that were unemployed at the time of conducting the survey in February 2023. Lack of available vacancies in the public health system, for example, doctors struggle with obtaining internship positions.
“Once the internship is completed, there may be a lack of community service positions. Once community services are completed, there may be a struggle to obtain a medical officer position. The public healthcare system already struggles to accommodate interns who have studied in South Africa.
“There is an added issue of South Africans who study abroad and require internship or medical officer positions here in South Africa,” Mzukwa said.
Mzukwa said the unemployed doctors could help ease the pressure on the health system.
“The healthcare system is currently under immense pressure from many fronts. What is more pressing in this issue is the dire shortage of healthcare professionals in a context of a growing population. This is disappointing considering the fact that there are about more than 800 doctors who are sitting at home and unemployed.
“These professionals will have helped relieve pressure in the healthcare system and prevent further burnout from those that are already employed by the state. This shortage in the public sector will result in poor health outcomes, burnout of existing healthcare professionals, and further litigation due to adverse events,” he said.
One of the patients in Mahikeng, Nozipho Mabuzela, lamented the lack of specialists in the area.
“We came here to consult with an otolaryngologist (ENT), my daughter has a hole in her eardrum. The whole process is frustrating, the ENT does not stay locally and has to travel here only when he has appointments. So we can only come to see him if we have an appointment based on the dates that he has to choose. When there is an emergency it means we have to come here but he won’t be here. I would hate to see what will happen if we have an emergency, imagine my daughter has a hole in her eardrum,” Mabuzela said.
Kelebogile Modise said she was frustrated by having to wait for long hours in queues after she recently had an operation.
“You wait for long, I can’t even count the hours. It is really frustrating. I recently just had an operation to remove my tonsils. It is still sore and I have to come and wait here for long hours. I don’t know why more doctors are not employed to assist people quickly. Imagine being sick and in pain only to be frustrated by the system,” said Modise.
Medical graduates are mandated to undertake compulsory two-year community service as part of their training before they can take up positions in private or public institutions of their choosing.
But SAMA said the process has become a headache for many, some of whom had studied abroad and found themselves without community placements or unemployed after two years of community service.
The National Department of Health spokesperson, Foster Mohale was reported by Just a Media Brief to have said placing doctors for community service is a challenge because they don’t like working in disadvantaged communities.
“Placing doctors for community service has become complicated because none like working in poorer and rural communities, leaving many areas without vital public health services.
“We have openings in deep rural areas for community service, where there’s not even a cell phone network, but they tell us they can’t work far from home and have all sorts of excuses like my mother is sick or other reasons,” Mohale said in a report.
Members of the Cosatu-affiliated SA Medical Association Trade Union (SAMATU) earlier this year, handed over a memorandum to the Health Minister Dr Joe Phahla, demanding for doctors to be employed.
Newsnote’s attempt to get a response from the National Department of Health has failed.
