THE KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has backed down from its position of not opening applications for pharmacy and psychology interns amid reports of funding constraints that led to the prioritisation on medical interns.

Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane made the announcement this week following uproar at the department’s decision. “Prospective applicants will now be able to access and submit all required forms via the department’s official website,” said Simelane after the portal was opened on Thursday (January 8).

She said, “This recruitment is a crucial step in strengthening our health system and securing the skills our province needs.” Earlier in the week, Simelane had issued a statement that due to severe financial limitations the Department had only been able to secure placements for medical interns and community service personnel.

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She said, “This difficult decision stems from a simple, unavoidable principle: we cannot spend what we do not have. The exclusion of other categories is a matter of fiscal reality, not a measure of their value or importance to our health system. We want to assure all affected interns that this is not a permanent closure. The Department is actively pursuing every possible avenue to source additional financial resources.”

The department confirmed that there was a successful reprioritisation of national funding that allowed them to address critical staffing challenges. “This intervention is designed to stabilise essential training pipelines and enhance pharmaceutical and psychological services in public facilities,” said Simelane.

She encouraged all eligible candidates to prepare their documentation and visit the department’s website www.kznhealth.gov.za from tomorrow onwards.

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