KwaZulu-Natal Health has done an about-turn on a circular that went out stating that the hiring of foreign doctors would be halted. News24 reports that this is according to MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu, who said the circular went out in error and had not been discussed with her.
In the circular, acting head of health Dr Musa Gumede said the department had suspended the foreign professionals because it had recruited a large number of SA citizens to be trained as doctors in Cuba.
Simelane-Zulu said that preliminary investigations had revealed that, during the 2018-2019 financial year, there were "discussions taken to bring into stream young unemployed South African doctors".
"As the MEC for Health representing this administration, I want to state categorically that there is no banning or suspension of the recruitment of foreign doctors. The circular should, therefore, be regarded as null and void, as it has not been processed through the MEC and the provincial executive."
She is quoted in the report as saying she regretted the "confusion that has arisen, and the impression created by the dissemination of this outdated circular with outdated decisions".
[link url="https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/kwazulu-natal-health-dept-does-u-turn-on-hiring-of-foreign-doctors-20190912"]News24 report[/link]