Fight for physicians

Rural physicians are a hot commodity, because very few domestically trained doctors want to work in rural areas for the government. They either set up their private clinics or travel to the big city to make a larger income. The senior physicians who choose to work in rural South Africa tend to be extraordinarily dedicated to the rural people or extremely demanding or the worse, poorly trained physicians. Bigger hospitals like Saint Benedictine can offer free housing and meals to entice the physicians from nearby clinics and hospitals. Unfortunately because of the great demand for physicians, some physicians feel entitled to play by their own rules- disappear, show up late or leave early from work. I’m uncertain if this is a widespread phenomenon, or if Benedictine is ailing from lack of current disciplined leadership.

Otherwise the junior physicians on staff are usually doing their community service year (the year after intern year) and they are placed in the hospitals based on a match system. Many end up in the rural hospital despite their first choice to be in a larger metropolitan area. So the match system is the only current way to provide enough physicians in greater South Africa.