As the Eastern Cape continues to grapple with staff shortages at public health facilities, 24 doctors trained through the government’s Cuba programme remain unemployed in the province, with some saying they have spent three years looking for jobs.
One of the doctors is considering studying for a qualification in another field, while another is questioning why interviews have even been conducted for posts that allegedly cannot be funded.
The provincial health department confirmed that 24 doctors who had completed the Nelson Mandela-Fidel Castro programme and community service were still without permanent work.
At the same time, the Bhisho legislature’s health portfolio committee acknowledged that there were staffing shortages across public facilities, saying budget and human resource constraints were contributing to the problem.
Two doctors who spoke to The Herald did not want to be named.
One said his training included seven years of study, a two-year internship and a year of community service.
“We were told to study,” he said.
“We were told that education would transform our lives and that becoming doctors would allow us to serve our communities.
“We made sacrifices, spent years away from our families and endured difficult training because we believed in a vision bigger than ourselves.”
He said some doctors had spent two or three years applying for posts.
“We are repeatedly taken through recruitment processes, called for interviews and asked to compete for posts, only to discover that some of these positions are allegedly not funded or that appointments cannot ultimately be made.”
Adding to being demoralised, applicants travelled long distances for interviews and spent money they could ill afford in the hope of securing a breakthrough, only to be met with more disappointment.
“How long are we expected to live like this?”
The doctor questioned how qualified medical professionals could remain in limbo while rural communities desperately needed their services.
“If there are genuine financial constraints, the government must be honest with us.
“If posts are not funded, why are doctors repeatedly subjected to interviews for positions that cannot be filled?”
He called for the department to publish information on funded posts, vacancies and staffing needs, and develop a plan to employ doctors where needed.
A second doctor said the lack of employment had left her discouraged and she was considering leaving the field altogether.
She had applied for jobs after completing her community service but had only secured a single interview.
“We try and [secure locum work] in the private sector but with the high number of unemployed people it’s also a competitive environment.”
She said the government-funded programme had initially given her hope that she could improve her family’s circumstances and serve her community.
“As I speak, I’m considering going back to school for another degree in a different field, because, clearly, medicine has failed me without even giving me a fighting chance.
“Ten years of training, only to sit at home.”
Health department spokesperson Siyanda Manana said the Cuba programme remained active and that an estimated R17.9m had been spent on it over the past four years.
“Doctors are expected to work within the public service for [a number of] years equivalent to the years they were funded,” Manana said.
“However, in the event of an inability to employ doctors, [they are] released from their contractual obligations.”
He did not specify how long doctors had to wait before this happened.
Manana said the department was unaware of any programme graduates who had remained unemployed for more than five years after completing their studies.
His response did not explain why the 24 doctors remained unemployed or when they could be appointed.
Health portfolio committee chair and ANC MPL Koliswa Vimbayo said the committee was aware of the problem, which affected several categories of healthcare professionals.
“The issue emerged through continuous engagements with the department where the committee has become increasingly aware of the budgetary and human resource constraints contributing to this challenge,” she said.
“However, the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals remain a critical responsibility and priority for the department, particularly considering the staffing shortages experienced across many public health facilities.”
Vimbayo said financial constraints did not remove the department’s obligation to explore sustainable ways of employing qualified healthcare professionals.
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