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BusinessDay reports that the Colleges of Medicine of SA (CMSA) has warned that austerity measures imposed by provincial health departments are undermining SA’s specialist training pipeline, threatening healthcare and the long-term sustainability of the public health system.
In a statement, CMSA CEO Eric Buch said it was critical that the pipeline of medical specialists be preserved and that specialist posts be created and filled in the public sector to ensure access to specialist care for the vast majority of South Africans. The intervention comes amid mounting reports from provincial hospitals and academic departments during 2025 of frozen posts, reduced budgets and operational constraints. At least 1,800 junior doctors who completed community service were left unemployed at the start of the year due to budget cuts. In Gauteng, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital has lost all three of its cardiologists and three of its four ear, nose and throat specialists to resignations, leaving entire departments without senior oversight. Registrars across provinces report waiting years for funded posts, with some working without pay to complete training, while others remain stuck as senior medical officers because registrar slots are unavailable. These developments follow the Treasury’s 2025 budget, which provided only a 0.8% real increase in non‑interest expenditure after a decade of near‑zero growth, so entrenching austerity across frontline services.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Tara Roos at BusinessDay (subscriber access only)
- Read too, Gauteng's specialist shortage: Frustration, resignations, and a looming crisis, at Daily Maverick
Get other news reports at the SA LabourNews home page