South Africa September 2006 |
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| Kiwi decision on SA doctors sparks outrage, (Sunday Argus, 2006-09-03):-South African doctors are outraged at a New Zealand decision that will make it more difficult for local doctors to practise there. This week New Zealand newspapers reported that the country's Medical Council had re-evaluated South Africa's health system and had removed it from a list of countries whose medical training was considered of a standard that would allow them to give doctors fast-track access to jobs. The decision was that South Africa no longer had a similar "health environment" to that of New Zealand and could no longer be considered in the same league as New Zealand, Australia, the US and a number of European countries. Until now, South African doctors have been able to register to work in New Zealand if they had good English skills and had spent 36 of the previous 48 months practising in "a comparable health environment". Countries deemed to have such an environment included most European countries, the US, Canada, Australia and, up to now, South Africa. To practise in New Zealand, local doctors will now have to do two US medical licensing exams and a New Zealand registration examination. There is also the possibility that the council will replace the US exam with an Australian screening examination for immigrant doctors. The council cited life expectancy, infant mortality and the nature of illnesses seen in South Africa among the reasons for its decision. There are about 600 South African doctors practising in New Zealand, including about 140 South African doctors who registered there between January and April this year for the first time. Tendai Dhliwayo, spokes-man for the Health Professions Council of South Africa, said South African doctors could compete with the best in the world because local medical schools offered rigorous training. Referring to the 600 South African doctors working in New Zealand, he said: "That speaks volumes about the training and expertise our healthcare practitioners possess. "It is the reason why thousands of our healthcare practitioners are easily absorbed by most first world countries." He said in any case there was a dire need for local doctors to alleviate the shortage in South Africa. UCT deputy dean of medicine, Professor David Dent, said there was a "medical carousel" whereby doctors from the rest of Africa and Eastern Europe wanted to come to South Africa and South African doctors, in turn, migrated to Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. "All countries are placing barriers in the way of this migration," Dent said. "However, the fact that New Zealand suddenly finds our health environment is not comparable to theirs is curious. "Many rural and central medical positions, including leadership and professorial posts in New Zealand, are held by South Africans." Department of health spokesman Sibani Mngadi said New Zealand's decision did not make sense. "We have very high standards. Their decision is disappointing." Previously, concerns have been raised in New Zealand newspapers that the country's doctors wanted to curb the number of immigrant doctors being allowed in to practise because of fears that local graduates would be unable to find jobs. A study in the South African Health Review states that 6% of the total healthcare workforce in Britain is South African. About 600 South African doctors are registered to practise in New Zealand and 10% of Canada's hospital doctors are South African. The departure of local doctors is not a recent phenomenon, but numbers have been accelerated by declining local working conditions, lower pay than overseas and the Aids epidemic here, which has taken its toll on morale. Recently, an agreement was reached between the UK and South African governments to slow down the migration of South African doctors and other healthcare professionals. The move was part of a British drive to strengthen the code of practice on international recruitment and to prevent agencies stripping developing countries of their doctors and nurses. The public health service in South Africa has been hit hard by acute shortages of doctors, despite remedial measures by the government. Doctors have been brought in from Cuba, and over the past five years graduating doctors have been compelled to do two years' community service at public sector hospitals across the country. New research by the independent Health Systems Trust shows that almost a third of health professional posts in the public sector in South Africa are unfilled. | |
South African Migration Project (SAMP) - Queen's University - http://www.queensu.ca/samp |