Paramedics are leaving SA in droves for lucrative jobs overseas, where some are earning as much as R85,000 a month. A [s]Sunday Times[/s] report says the situation has become so dire that university academics are proposing that the government introduce compulsory community service for newly qualified graduates to stem the exodus. Qatar is among a number of Arab countries actively recruiting SA-trained paramedics, who are in huge demand because of their extensive experience in treating gunshot victims, among other things. Only 128 paramedics graduated in SA last year and Raveen Naidoo, head of the department of emergency medical care at the [b]Durban University of Technology[/b], said newly qualified paramedics should ideally work in SA for at least two years after graduating.
Paramedic training in SA is strong, says Martin Botha from the [b]Emergency Medicine Society of SA[/b] in an [s]Eyewitness News[/s] report. Botha says that paramedic professionals are excellently trained and are sought after by internationally. He says quality trained medical professionals are leaving the country to gain experience abroad and then return.
Meanwhile, highlighting the dangers that emergency care workers have to operate under, an appeal bid by two men convicted of r aping paramedics and trying to compel another man to r ape them has been dismissed by the [b]South Gauteng High Court[/b], reports [s]Iafrica[/s]. The pair received eight life sentences for the r apes, 35 years for compelling another person to commit a sexual act and 15 years for the unlawful possession of a firearm.
[link url=http://times-e-editions.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/accountingloginse2.aspx?returnurl=%2fepaper%2fpageview.aspx%3fissue%3d11072014062200000000001001%26page%3d11%26articleid%3de67d9879-b3d0-46af-8945-b85be07c88a9%26articlekey%3dVFMa2rr%252fAtQeF3BpInwthg%253d%253d%26previewmode%3d2]Full Sunday Times report (subscription needed)[/link]
[link url=http://ewn.co.za/2014/06/23/SA-Paramedics-want-to-build-their-experience-abroad]Full Eyewitness News report[/link]
[link url=http://news.iafrica.com/sa/945516.html]Full Iafrica report[/link]