Issued by: SA Communication Service
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH OBJECTS TO THE BRITISH RECRUITMENT OF SOUTH AFRICAN DOCTORS
The Department of Health objects to a drive by the National Association of Health Authorities and Trusts (part of the British National Health Service) to systematically recruit our scarce resource: medical doctors. The cost to our tax payers to train a medical doctors is estimated at R750 000. We find it unacceptable that a highly developed country would come and pouch our scarce resources to provide care for the British at the heavy expense of our disadvantaged South Africans, whose health status has been affected by the discriminatory policies of the apartheid regime.
The recruitment advertisements are placed in South African newspapers and journals. The South African Health Department is sensitive to this matter because we are working hard at improving salary conditions of our health personnel, including doctors. As we introduce our new health plan we would have difficulty in finding doctors to implement it, if the British NHS' recruitment drive succeeds. we recently had to obtain government-to-government agreements in order to fill in the gap for medical practitioners in rural areas. We recruit with the consent of those countries who can afford to send us their doctors. If the British NHS would like to get assistance from South Africa it would be preferable to contact the South African Department of Health and other relevant authorities formally, rather than to pouch the people who are to provide access to health care of our people.
Contact: Vincent Hlongwane Pager : (011) 804-2777