The Citizen reports that the Department of Health (DOH) has approved the creation of 1,650 new healthcare positions and allocated more than R1.3 billion for hospital equipment purchases, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi announced on Thursday.

“We believe we’re in a position to announce today that the council has approved the advertisement of 1,200 jobs for doctors, 200 for nurses and 250 for other healthcare professionals,” said Motsoaledi. The new positions will cost approximately R1.78 billion, with recruitment processes set to begin once logistics are finalised. Notwithstanding reports of approximately 1,800 unemployed doctors in SA, the minister clarified that the actual unemployment figure was even higher. “Unemployment is much higher than what we have mentioned, we are hiring people according to our capacity and affordability. If we had the money to employ every South African, we would,” Motsoaledi stated. He emphasised that healthcare professional shortages were a global challenge. Motsoaledi also addressed multiple legal challenges to the National Health Insurance (NHI) legislation. He said the DOH had submitted answering affidavits in response to cases brought by Solidarity and the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF), with rulings expected in six months. Additional legal challenges have been filed by the SA Private Practitioners Forum (SAPPF), the Hospital Association of SA (HASA), and the SA Medical Association (SAMA).

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Enkosi Selane at The Citizen
• Read too, 1,200 jobs to be advertised for SA's 1,800 unemployed doctors: 'It's what we can afford’, at News24

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