Photo by [SAMATU]
South Africa – The South African Medical Association (SAMA), has stated they will persist in their efforts to support the numerous foreign-trained doctors who are currently unemployed within the country.
Last week, foreign-trained doctors gathered at the Union Buildings in Pretoria to express their concerns about their inability to take the board exams necessary to practise their profession.
Reports indicate that the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) fully understands and shares the discontent and frustration experienced by these unemployed doctors. They attribute the delay in exam registration to administrative challenges they are currently grappling with.
Dr Akhtar Hussain, a representative from SAMA,has indicated the HPCSA is working towards creating opportunities for these doctors to sit for their exams. However, he remains uncertain about the timeline and the specific details of how this process will unfold.
“They said they will have an exam, but they’re not sure when … As I mentioned, there is no capacity at The Health Professional Council to run this exam. They go to 10 medical schools and issue a tender to run this exam. Only one medical school responded, and nine of them rejected.”
The State of South Africa’s Health System
Following their return from overseas training, numerous South African doctors have faced the challenges of unemployment and financial hardships. Many have asserted that they depend on their parents’ pensions and other income sources.
Many citizens deem this situation unacceptable, especially considering the state of the country’s healthcare system and the shortage of healthcare professionals in government hospitals.
Dr Hussain pointed out that SAMA has consistently communicated with the appropriate medical authorities. However, their efforts have yielded no positive outcomes. He contends the authorities’ approach to addressing their concerns demonstrates a lack of “respect for their profession”.
“We, as the South African Medical Association, from the beginning, have been supporting, we have been guiding, and we have been advocating for them. We asked for a meeting with the National Department of Health and a meeting with the Health Professional Council, but there was no response.”
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SAMA’s Urgent Appeal
Dr Hussain emphasises the urgent need for President Cyril Ramaphosa to take decisive action regarding the memorandum submitted by foreign-trained doctors to the relevant authorities.
He considers it crucial for these doctors to be granted the opportunity to take the board exams and subsequently be assigned to hospitals to alleviate the strain on the healthcare system.
“The memorandum is submitted to the Presidency, Health Professional Council and the National Department of Health. President Cyril Ramaphosa needs to intervene urgently and give direction because one week has passed, and I haven’t heard any way forward. [I haven’t heard] what they are going to do and how they’re going to go about doing those exams. Because the Department of Health, after the exams, needs to create jobs, and they need to create internships.”
