The fact that Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has to resort to appeals to foreign governments not to poach South African health professionals is a ”tragedy”, says the Democratic Alliance.
The minister reportedly made such an appeal during an appearance on the Dutch TV show Den Haag Vandaag on Friday morning.
”During the interview, she called for a covenant between the Dutch and the South African governments to prevent the poaching of South African doctors and nurses,” DA health representative Sandy Kalyan said.
Referring to a survey that found more than 70% of local medical students would rather leave South Africa than face two years of internship after studying, Kalyan said this was a ”serious wake-up call for the department of health”.
The survey, conducted among students at medical schools around the country, followed the endorsement of a plan by the minister and the nine provincial health MECs in January to double the current one-year required internship period.
Kalyan said Tshabalala-Msimang’s response to the survey was misplaced, and called on her ”to focus her time and energy here at home rather than jet-setting across the globe”.
This would help make it more attractive for doctors and nurses to stay home. ”She should also consider ways to lure our doctors who currently work in foreign countries to come home.
”The DA suggests that she offers them incentives to work in rural areas, and do more to ensure their safety and security,” she said. – Sapa