Doctors in South Africa send urgent warning to Ramaphosa

[Nat Quinn]

The South African Medical Association (SAMA), representing medical doctors in both the public and private sectors, has sent an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa urging him to address a growing unemployment crisis for qualified professionals in the industry.

Failing to do so could result in the continued loss of medical workers to the private sector and emigration, and ultimately the collapse of the public healthcare system, it warned.

The association implored the president for urgent intervention—not just an acknowledgement of the problem—where over 1,800 junior doctors who have completed their qualifications cannot find a job.

This, while departments in public hospitals across the country are “dangerously understaffed”, and existing healthcare workers are forced to shoulder unsustainable workloads.

According to SAMA, South Africa is in crisis with the number of doctors per population at 0.3 per thousand. This is significantly less than what is recommended by the World Health Organisation of at least 2.5.

The association said the state needs to secure an additional R2 billion in funding annually to create posts for medical officers and registrars.

Health department officials alerted Parliament last year that budget cuts had impacted hiring at both national and provincial levels, with significant consequences.

The National Treasury allocated R267.3 billion for health expenditure in 2023/24, increasing to R271.9 billion in 2024/25, R281.1 billion in 2025/26, and R295.2 billion in the outer year.

However, this represents a 3.4% nominal increase, falling short of the forecast inflation rate of 4.7% for the same period.

Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said earlier in January that the government’s hands were tied as the budget cuts had hit services across the board.

“We do understand the grievances of doctors, but in the final analysis, you cannot hire someone if you don’t have the means to pay them, and that’s the situation we are in,” he said.

Motsoaledi said that government’s National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme would help the state equalise the playing field and address the doctor crisis. However, this is cold comfort to those who are currently unemployed.

The state’s own projections for the NHI is that it will start rolling out in earnest only in 2028—and that is if nothing stops it. As it stands, the laws already face three legal challenges with more coming.

Other stakeholders—specifically from the medical funding industry—have noted that the NHI’s lofty long-term goals do nothing for people who need healthcare now.

The same principle applies to the doctors who need employment now.

While SAMA acknowledged that budgets were under strain, it said the funding could easily be achieved by reprioritising provincial health budgets, improving revenue collection, reducing administration costs and rooting out corruption.

It also urged the president to develop a comprehensive plan to root out the cause of the crisis.

“Left unresolved, this situation will lead to deteriorating healthcare services, loss of skilled professionals to the private sector and abroad, and ultimately, the collapse of our public healthcare system.”

SAMA said that the state’s failure to adequately staff and fund healthcare facilities are not only costing doctors their livelihoods, but also costing patients their lives.

It said the entire medical profession is at risk, including for future generations of learners and students who will not want to become part of the broken healthcare system.

“Mr President, we call on you to act decisively. Prioritise the employment of junior doctors into the public sector and ensure sustainable funding for healthcare services.

“We are doctors in waiting, while patients are in need,” it said.

 

SOURCE:Doctors in South Africa send urgent warning to Ramaphosa – BusinessTech

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