Medical practitioners and nurses

Abstract

There are currently 29655 medical practitioners employed in South Africa at a rate of 65 physicians per 100 000 of the population. Approximately 60 per cent of physicians are employed in the private health sector at a ratio of 255:100 000. The remainder work in the public health sector where they provide medical care to 84 per cent of the population at ratio of 29:100 000. Shortages are created by the misdistribution of skills across sectors and provinces, and are aggravated by the outflow of skills from South Africa to other countries.. Supply is restricted by limited resources, the limited availability of black candidates for higher education, high failure rates and poor working conditions and remuneration in the public health sector. The number of nurses in employment is estimated at 155 484, at a nurse/population ratio of 343:100 000, which compares favourably with the World Health Organisation's minimum norm of 200:100 000. The nurse/population ratio is expected to drop to 305:100 000 over the nest ten years with a total of 18 758 positions remaining unfilled.