The government will spend R1-billion in allowances to ensure health professionals are available in rural areas and the public health sector, Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said on Tuesday.
”We have adopted a recruitment and retention strategy that seeks to address the broader challenge of migration of health personnel from rural to urban areas,” said Tshabalala-Msimang at the opening of a conference in Durban on health in rural areas.
She said the strategy will also address the problem of migration of workers from the public to the private sector and from South Africa to developed countries.
Tshabalala-Msimang said the ”rural and scarce skills allowances” amount to R750-million this year and will increase by R250-million next year.
The rural allowance currently applies to 33 000 health professionals, including nurses, working in designated areas. The scarce skills allowance applies to 62 000 professionals in specified categories.
”We are aware that sustainable solutions to the challenge of supply and distribution of health workers lie in our ability to produce and retain local health personnel in underserved areas,” Tshabalala-Msimang said.
From next year, she said, all categories of health professionals will be included in the compulsory community service programme, including nurses.
She said the country is proud of the calibre of its health workers.
”No wonder that several developed countries embarked on a poaching spree to attract our health-care workers.”
She said discussions were held with Britain to help manage the flow of health workers between the two countries.
”We are also opening opportunities for British health professionals to work in rural and underserved areas in South Africa for them to gain exposure to the health challenges in developing countries,” Tshabalala-Msimang said.
She also told delegates the government is finalising an agreement with Iran, as it did with Cuba, to import doctors from the country to work in rural facilities.
The government will over three years spend a further R37-million, funded by the European Union, to improve facilities and services in rural areas. — Sapa