Medical graduates 'skip out on bursary obligations'

The Eastern Cape government wants 131 doctors to repay more than R65.5-million in bursaries.

They are said to have reneged on their contracts to serve in rural hospitals following the completion of studies sponsored by the provincial health department's bursary scheme.

It costs the department R500000 to train a medical student. According to the department, a mere 113 bursary-funded doctors have honoured their contracts by working in mostly rural government hospitals.

The department this week threatened:

• To deregister the medical practitioners from the Health Professions Council of South Africa;
• Provide their details to a national debt-collecting agency to recoup the money; and
• Have the doctors blacklisted unless they pay back the bursaries with interest.

"We are planning to go to court and apply for judgments against those who are not willing to return or pay up," said Sizwe Kupelo, provincial department spokesman.

"The harsh action we are taking should prevent any of 131 doctors from practising anywhere in the country until they have served their contracts or repaid the department."

Kupelo said the department was "revising and tightening the contract". This year the department will spend R225-million on bursaries for health workers including nurses, pharmacists, and radiographers.

More than 426 medical professionals have benefited from the bursary allocation scheme since 2006.