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DA warns of health disaster
24/03/2008 20:13 - (SA)
Johannesburg - The Democratic Alliance called on the government to address vacancies within the health sector urgently, warning that failing to do so would be disastrous.
"A reply to a DA Parliamentary question makes it clear that although there are a staggering number of vacant posts around the country for medical specialists, doctors and nurses - including an 86% vacancy rate for specialists in Limpopo -neither the national government nor provincial governments are exploring many creative ways to reduce these vacancies," spokesperson Mike Waters said.
"This lack of attention is disastrous for South Africa's health care system," he said. Lowest vacancy rates in Free State
He said that according to the answers received on Tuesday, vacancy rates for medical specialists ranged from the lowest of 51% in the Free State to 86% in Limpopo.
Vacancy rates for doctors ranged from 35% in the Free State, to 63% in Limpopo.
Waters said that no provinces appeared to be attending to the problem.
Most provinces referred to two national programmes - a memorandum of understanding with Tunisia, and a training and supply relationship with Cuba - which were only providing a "handful" of doctors.
Only Gauteng and the North West had developed specific policies on foreign-qualified professionals, he said. Fast-track residency applications
The DA suggested that the Department of Health discuss with the Department of Home Affairs the inclusion of specialists, doctors and professional nurses on the list of categories for fast-tracked residency applications, in terms of the scarce skills programme.
They also called for the scrapping of the five-year experience requirement for people on the scarce skills programme, the speeding up of approving applications from foreign-qualified medical graduates, and including the private sector in increasing the number of training opportunities.
This should also include removing barriers to opening up privately-run medical schools.
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