Too few doctors in training

The shortage of doctors is ham-stringing the health services but medical schools are turning away thousands of aspirant medical practitioners each year.

Ranked among the top 500 universities in the world, the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine rejected 5290 applications this year because it could accommodate only 210 first-year students.

The University of the Witwatersrand, the Medical University of SA, Stellenbosch University, the University of Cape Town, the University of Pretoria, Walter Sisulu University and the University of the Free State have turned down thousands of applications.

The eight medical schools can train a total of 2000 first-year medical students a year.

KwaZulu-Natal health department spokesman Chris Maxon said the restriction on the intake of first-year medical students was a setback for the people in the province with the highest burden of disease.

"There are a number of interventions that are in place to try to beef up the shortage of doctors. However, these efforts will be fruitless if we still have two healthcare systems, one that serves the rich and one that serves the poor.

"The one that serves the rich tends to steal skills from the public health service, thereby depriving the majority of citizens," he said.

South Africa produces 1200 doctors a year.

About 12 500 doctors are needed urgently to staff hospitals, according to figures in a presentation compiled by doctors Mark Sonderup and Phophi Ramathuba for the SA Medical Association's 2011 conference.

There are about 27 641 practising doctors in South Africa, but almost 23410 South African-born doctors are practising overseas.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has asked the deans of medical schools to admit 40 more first-year students each year, but only the Health Professions' Council of SA can approve an increase in students.

The University of the Witwatersrand was able to secure 40 additional admissions last year, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal has applied to the Health Professions' Council to admit 40 more first-year students next year.

Council spokesman Lize Nel said the council had a standard procedure that had to be followed by medical schools.

She explained that the council had prescribed strict student-lecturer ratios.

"The council set the standard of education to ensure that people have the required skills to practise as doctors. Our policy ensures that our graduates are sufficiently qualified to deliver a high quality of healthcare," she said.