Cape Town — Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has come under criticism for his remarks that the government is unable to employ every unemployed doctor in South Africa, citing a lack of funds to cover salaries.
In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Motsoaledi expressed sympathy for unemployed doctors, stating that the primary reason for their unemployment was a shortage of financial resources.
“To hire doctors, you need resources. In September, the Minister of Finance mentioned it, we have got very serious austerity measures and crippling budget cuts. This not only affects our capacity to hire doctors, but to complete a large number of functions. We do agree with the grievances of doctors, but in the final analysis, you cannot give a job for which you do not have the means to pay these people,” he said.
“I personally I am a doctor, I am a minister and I would like people to get employed but I do not want to give an impression that there is a special deal for some people because they are doctors. We also have unemployed nurses, unemployed social workers, all of them unfortunately because of austerity measures and budgetary constraints,” he added.
Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi says the government does not have the money to hire unemployed doctors despite the shortage of their services in hospitals.
Watch: https://t.co/dX5kHTKrLq#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/mLKbBt5d9X
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) January 9, 2025
According to IOL, the South African Medical Association Trade Union (SAMATU) was concerned about the 450 doctors who remained unemployed after completing their community service.
Motsoaledi said the government had no obligation to hire unemployed doctors who had completed their obligatory internship and community service after completing their studies.
“After community service, you are a free person, you are a fully-fledged doctor, you can go anywhere. If the State advertises posts, you can apply. If the post is in the private sector, you can apply. If you want to open your own private private practice, you can do so. If you want to, and work elsewhere, you can do anything. Now I hear words like absorption. After community service, there is nothing like absorption, you apply for a job like any other job-seeker or graduate,” Motsoaledi said.
Meanwhile, SAMATU has expressed concern to the Department of Health, highlighting the dire consequences of the department’s lack of strategy in retaining doctors in the public health system.
“Each year, successive ministers of health have acknowledged the gravity of this situation and the need to develop concrete strategies that would curb this issue from persisting. However, after so many years we are yet to see a plan from the NDoH which addresses this issue,” said Samatu general secretary, Dr Cedric Sihlangu.
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Health Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi stated that the government is not obliged to hire unemployed doctors. In response to this, health activist Dr. Kgosi Letlape asserted that the Minister should find resources to assist. pic.twitter.com/txb1pLIeOW— SABC News (@SABCNews) January 7, 2025
According to The Citizen, Sihlangu was shocked to hear that Motsoaledi had encouraged doctors to leave the country and find work internationally. He added that the minister did not know the urgency of the challenges doctors faced, and it was troubling for Motsoaledi to make such comments while trying to implement the National Health Insurance (NHI).
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
