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03.23.07 (1 year ago)
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South Africa Doctors shortage Fri Jul 16, 2004 9:08 am (2 years ago) #1
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Cape Plans to Lure UK Medical Staff
Cape Town
The Western Cape health department is advertising in the UK to lure British health workers to SA as part of "innovative" measures to deal with the massive shortage of doctors and nurses in the province.
Department head Prof Craig Househam said the province would fund the advertising campaign in the British Medical Journal and also advertise locally to entice medical professionals back into service.
The overseas recruitment drive comes amid growing public concern in the province over the ability of hospitals, such as Tygerberg and Red Cross, to provide emergency services.
Although only about 10% of the total 2000 positions for medically qualified staff were unfilled, the shortage was heightened because it affected areas critical in providing operational services such as casualty services, Househam said yesterday.
Of the 9500 nursing posts , about 1700 are vacant .
But health officials believe the new recruitment drive could help attract and retain local medical staff who in the past 10 years have left in droves for better working conditions and pay overseas.
Househam said there would be flexibility in the approach to attract health professionals, including offering attractive salaries and part-time morning only or afternoon shifts to relieve the burdens on full-time staff.
Househam denied, however, that the province's hospitals were in a crisis .
"While we face serious challenges, including critical staff shortages in some hospitals, no hospitals would be closed for emergencies," he said at a press conference.
Househam said the shortage of doctors in some areas was aggravated by the shortage of experienced nurses, which health authorities were grappling with "on a daily basis".
He said the "innovative" proposal to hire UK doctors had been initiated by local doctors. The overseas recruitment drive would give Western Cape health services some "breathing space", he said.
The recruitment fell within the ambit of the Health Professionals Council and would not require special government dispensation to recruit from countries such as Britain, Germany and the Netherlands, he said.
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