Dozens of qualified doctors who were sponsored to study abroad by the Free State government, under the then premiership of Ace Magashule, may due to various reasons never be able to practice medicine in their home country.
Disgruntled postgraduate students have met with Monyatso Mahlatsi, provincial MEC for Health; Godfrey Mahlantsi, head of the provincial Department of Health; as well as Dr Balekile Mzangwa, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Universitas Academic Hospital. This took place at the hospital on Tuesday, 6 August.
They were part of a group on which hundreds of millions of rands were spent so that they could study medicine in countries like Russia, Turkey, India and Portugal to increase the number of medical practitioners in South Africa.
Some of them started their studies in 2014 and after a decade are still no closer to practicing medicine locally.
One student from Heidedal, Bloemfontein, left with a group of 52 students to study in China. After completing a course in Mandarin and medical studies of four years, they were told that the degree in China was not good enough and they would have to move to Russia.
They were promised a smooth transition, but when they arrived in Russia, they had to start their second year of studies again.
This student, and some of his peers, completed their studies last year, but are still waiting to write the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) board exam.
Upon completion of their studies and their return to the province, the students are required to write the board exam, before they can start their internship at a local hospital.
“We thought it was a good idea to study overseas, but after all this time I am still not allowed to work in South Africa,” the student from Heidedal said.
This group differs from those that studied medicine in Cuba, whose studies included a year of internship in South Africa.
Other students studied in Turkey. One student returned to South Africa in 2020 and has not passed the clinical board examination to start work as an intern yet. Since she returned, she took up another job, but still dreams of becoming a gynaecologist.
According to statistics that were revealed at the meeting, only 17 from a group of 50 passed their theoretical exams through the HPCSA. Of these 17 students, 16 passed the oral clinical exam.
With another group, just 30 of 102 passed the theoretical part of the exam, while 72 students failed. Only 11 out of 30 students passed the clinical exam whilst ten failed.
Some of these postgraduate students requested a refresher course to help them pass the exam.
Mahlatsi said that the students must work hard and that there is no additional money for training.
