SA's health ministry said on Friday that 2,369 interns had joined the country's health workforce in 2020, describing it as the “biggest medical intern allocation programme in history”.
The new recruits have been allocated to various provinces to bolster the health workforce.
National health spokesperson Lwazi Manzi said another 41 medical interns who had studied abroad had passed their exams and were now being allocated to various provinces.
The country is also expected to get 650 graduates from the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro Cuba medical programme.
In Gauteng, 678 medical inters who were part of the 2020 year cycle, were allocated to the province.
KwaZulu-Natal received 545 interns, the Western Cape 322 and Eastern Cape 215.
“This phenomenal recruitment drive forms part of implementing the programmes that emanate from the resolutions of the presidential health compact,” health minister Zweli Mkhize said.
Mkhize said the recruitment process would strengthen and sustain human resources within the health care sector. He said without doctors “there is no health care system”.
“I am extremely proud of the department’s achievement to ensure that the South African medical fraternity continues to grow.
“Having met some of these bright young colleagues, I am always left inspired by their passion, enthusiasm and willingness to contribute not only to the fight against Covid-19 but also to the attainment of universal health coverage,” he said.
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