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On Monday, around 60 unemployed, newly qualified doctors in KwaZulu-Natal marched to the Provincial Health Department in Pietermaritzburg, expressing their desperation and unhappiness at the country’s extreme lack of employment opportunities in the health sector.
Last week, Health Minister Joe Phaahla said, “It is no secret that the cost of employment is extremely high – up to 65% of annual budgets in some instances.” He blamed the finance minister for failing to provide the funds to hire more doctors.
He added that South Africa is increasing the number of medical graduates every year, adding additional strain to resources.
He also explained that the department was working with provincial governments to locate and advertise available vacancies. At this time, 259 positions are open across various provinces.
There are currently around 800 unemployed doctors in South Africa, and 694 had already completed their community service as of December 31, 2023. eNCA reported that “there is only one doctor for every 3,000 people.”
Health Minister Joe Phaahla will respond to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) today (13 February 2024) and elaborate on plans to address the ongoing concerns of the jobless medical graduates. With not nearly enough employment opportunities for newly qualified doctors – South Africa is experiencing a crisis in the healthcare sector that needs to be urgently addressed. Will the Minister of Health soon propose workable solutions to this issue?
