More than half of the new doctors were placed in district hospitals and the health care centres that operate 24 hours a day.
Mpumalanga’s health system has received a major boost with the appointment of nearly 100 new doctors across clinics and hospitals.
Health MEC Sasekani Manzini this week introduced the recruits at facilities in Matsulu, Msogwaba, Bushbuckridge and surrounding areas, describing the move as a milestone in strengthening primary health care and improving service delivery.
Civil society and sector welcome appointments
Civil society groups and medical associations have welcomed the appointments, saying they will ease pressure on referral hospitals and expand access to timely, quality care for communities that rely on public services.
Yesterday, Manzini said filling the vacant posts would improve service delivery in the province.
“We decided to employ the doctors, some of whom will be working full-time at the clinics that operate for 24 hours a day,” he said.
“This will improve service delivery because when a nurse realises a patient needs to see a doctor, the doctor will be available instead of referring them to the hospital.”
Budget allocation and rapid recruitment
She said the employment of the doctors needs to be celebrated.
“Mpumalanga, like all other provinces, was allocated a special budget to appoint all unemployed doctors. Mpumalanga was allocated a budget to be able to appoint 99 doctors,” said Manzini.
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“We have moved swiftly as a province and we appointed 97 out of the expected 99 because two doctors declined the posts, indicating that they had already made arrangements to further their studies.”
Manzini also said 57 of the 97 new doctors were placed in district hospitals and the health care centres that operated 24 hours a day.
“The appointment and deployment of 25 medical doctors to primary health care facilities was not about ticking the boxes,” she said.
“This represents a transformative step towards achieving universal health coverage.”
Strengthening the wider health workforce
Apart from doctors, Manzini also welcomed medical and pharmacy interns and community servers’ personnel a few days ago.
She said this was an effort to strengthen health care systems and create a sustainable, safe and high-quality health system for ordinary people.
The new crew comprised of 590 health professionals, with 85 being medical interns and 505 being community servers’ personnel from different categories.
Positive Women’s Network director Thandi Maluka welcomed the move, saying it was a positive and important step towards strengthening the public health system and improving access to quality health care for communities, particularly those who rely solely on public services.
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“We commend the department and the MEC for effectively utilising the allocated budget to employ doctors at the primary health care level,” said Maluka.
“This demonstrates that with the political will, proper planning and accountability, resources can be used to directly benefit communities.”
Mpumalanga sets ‘good example for other provinces’
She said the presence of doctors at facilities such as Matsulu and Msogwaba community health centres will help reduce pressure on referral hospitals and improve timely access to care.
“Mpumalanga’s approach sets a good example for other provinces. It shows that investing in front-line health care workers is possible and necessary to address health system challenges, including staff shortages and service backlogs,” she said.
Maluka appealed to other provinces to follow Mpumalanga’s example and prioritise the full utilisation of health budgets to strengthen primary health care, “which is the backbone of an effective and equitable health system”.
“As civil society, we look forward to continued engagement to ensure these appointments translate into improved, people-centred services for all public healthcare users,” she said.
South African Medical Association Trade Union’s Junior Doctors Group chair Dr Talente Biyela commended the province for filling all the vacancies.
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