Public sector health worker staffing for southern Africa
Brain drain has become endemic to the South African healthcare system, with as many as 50% of qualifying doctors emigrating each year, whilst 75% of what remains opt for the private sector. About 35% of public health posts in South Africa are vacant. Without a solid complement of qualified professionals on board, many of our facilities remain overcrowded and underserviced. This puts extra pressure on the few staff members who are there, making public service even less attractive as a career.
Our purpose is not only to fill the staffing gaps, but also to identify all the factors that contribute to this cycle, so as to create a sustainable new reality for public health.
To this end, we do not simply recruit, place, orientate and work on retaining candidates, but also conduct strategic monitoring and evaluation, from which we deliver much-needed advocacy and strategic consulting to our partners in public health.