The South African Medical Association (Sama) is working around the clock to ensure all newly qualified intern and community-service doctors are placed and ready for duty at the beginning of January 2019.
This after Minister of Health Aaron Motsoaledi announced in December 2018 that there was a “massive” recruitment drive in the healthcare sector.
The Department of Health will spend R2bn to fill more than 15,000 posts for health workers across the country’s public health facilities.
The new jobs included 9,797 newly qualified health professionals, such as community-service dentists, nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals.
Of the more than 15,000 posts, 5,300 will be clinical and support health workers across the nine provinces.
“We are aware of the over allocation of doctors at certain institutions that do not have the sufficient number of posts to employ them, such as Jubilee and Tambo Memorial hospitals.
“We have been engaging with the Department of Health on a regular basis and have been assured that all affected doctors are being reassigned to surrounding tertiary institutions,” chairperson of Sama Angelique Coetzee said.
Coetzee said the process was expected to be completed by the close of business on Friday December 28 2018.
She urged all affected doctors to contact the union should they need assistance.