The South African Medical Association Trade Union (SAMATU) has described Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s recently unveiled plans as comforting.
The plans entail establishing 1 650 new public sector positions to tackle staffing shortages in hospitals.
This response follows widespread protests from unemployed doctors calling for government intervention.
General-Secretary of SAMATU, Dr Cedric Sihlangu, says the protests have paid off.
“We’re quite comforted by the moves by the National Department of Health, through the announcement, by the minister to have found the doctor posts and the others obviously would be the nurses and other health correctors. We in fact had anticipated that the contracts of community services were expiring. But some have obviously gotten employment. So, we’re quite confident that in fact, we shouldn’t be having any unemployed doctors going forward. We are also happy that this comes after decisive marches throughout the country by SAMATU.”
PODCAST | Plans to establish 1 650 new positions to address staff shortages in hospitals:
VIDEO | Posts to be created for unemployed doctors:
