More than 400 doctors facing unemployment in 2023, union warns

THE South African Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) has raised concern that 400 doctors who have completed community service face unemployment next year.

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.

Samatu secretary-general Dr Cedric Sihlangu said the 400 doctors approached the union because they had been applying for posts but had not found placements 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 doctors 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.”

Sihlangu said that the union had been in contact with the Department of Health.

“They have promised to assist with placement. The thing is the department shouldn’t be waiting for an outcry for them to help doctors. We also will be pushing for all provinces to absorb doctors who have completed their post-community service into the public sector.”

Dr Nandipha Singano, 27, of Phoenix, who will finish her community service this month, said she was likely to be unemployed next year.

“I have been applying and still have got no response. It’s always been my passion to serve my community in the public sector. I want to work in trauma in hospitals and help people. I know that in government hospitals, trauma doctors are needed.”

Singano added that it was a long journey to become a doctor and all she wanted was to help people.

“I want to work in South Africa, there’s no other place I want to be. I don’t want to apply to go overseas or seek employment in the private sector. There is a large volume of patients in South Africa and doctors are needed here,” she said.

Department of Health spokesperson Foster Mohale said that the department was only recently informed of the situation.

“We don’t understand why the doctors didn’t approach us first instead of informing the union. However, we have recently received a list of doctors from the South African Medical Association Trade Union of doctors who need to be placed in the public sector.”

He said the department would only be able to assist those who met the minimum requirements to be placed in the public sector.

“We as the department will do our best to help the doctors.”