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The Citizen reports that SA’s public healthcare system is hemorrhaging medical professionals at an alarming rate, with nearly 6,000 doctors and nurses resigning annually from state facilities.
Recent parliamentary data reveals the devastating scale of the brain drain crippling the health sector. Official figures from the Persal system show that between 2013 and 2025, SA lost 12,745 doctors and 58,897 nurses from public health care facilities. Combined, this represents an average of approximately 5,900 doctor and nurse resignations per year over the 12-year period from 2013 to 2024. When pharmacists, other health care practitioners, and administrative personnel are included, the total number of health care workers who have resigned since 2013 reaches a staggering 124,123. The crisis peaked in 2021 and 2022, when the country lost 1,340 and 1,350 doctors respectively in 2021, alongside 6,171 and 5,592 nurses in 2022. The data, provided by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi in response to a parliamentary question from DA MP Michéle Clarke, paints a grim picture of a health care system under severe strain. Gauteng province has been hit hardest, losing 3,351 doctors since 2013, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 2,609 resignations. The Persal data has not been updated since January 2025, meaning current losses may be even higher. The health care staffing crisis has been further exacerbated by widespread unemployment among junior doctors.
- Read the full original of the comprehensive report in the above regard by Enkosi Selane at The Citizen
- Read too, 125,000 healthcare workers in South Africa call it quits, at BusinessTech
Get other news reports at the SA LabourNews home page