Doctors 'should consider private practice' amid state vacancies
Health Minister Joe Phaahla has
acknowledged the need for more employment opportunities in public health
care.
Phaahla said on Monday there are currently some 230 vacancies.
He urged doctors to submit their applications to the department, saying that more than 370 positions will be made available over the next six months.
He told the media that they've received complaints from several unemployed medical graduates - who are struggling to find work after completing community service programmes.
“We are working with provinces in identifying vacancies so we can advise colleagues in the unions and associations.
There are no automatic placements because since you are under the category of independent practice, you have a choice of whether you want to go into the province or different institutions."
Meanwhile, private practitioner Angelique Coetzee says doctors should also consider starting their own business.
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"If we don’t start to train our young doctors to become entrepreneurs and sourcing work for themselves, going forward we are going to sit every year with a group of people that doesn't know how to get into the market.
“They are highly qualified and trained this should start an undergraduate training. You should start to train these young doctors on job creation and entrepreneurship."
