The increase in the period of internship for doctors from one to two years in 2008 may cause a shortage of doctors, the Health Department said on Thursday.
Spokesperson Sibani Mngadi said the department was making efforts to address the challenge.
”There is ongoing collaboration between relevant stakeholders to ensure that the situation is addressed,” Mngadi said.
Provincial departments were assessing their service-delivery needs and requirements to ensure that services were not disrupted.
He said there were also efforts to recruit doctors from abroad.
”One of such initiatives is the recruitment of doctors from Tunisia,” Mngadi said.
”A high level delegation from the Tunisian Agency for Technical Cooperation is currently in the country and will be visiting KwaZulu-Natal hospitals tomorrow [Friday] as part of their programme to inspect public health facilities, with the aim of assisting in recruiting Tunisian doctors to work in the under-served areas of South Africa.”
The delegation, which had already visited hospitals in Gauteng, Limpopo and Eastern Cape, would on Friday visit Prince Mshiyeni and Chief Albert Luthuli hospitals.
The period of internship was increased by the Health Professions Council of South Africa to ensure that doctors gain sufficient practical competencies.
Mngadi said this decision was endorsed by his department. — Sapa