The recruitment of rare medical specialists who will work in SA's first post-apartheid medical school based in Limpopo is already underway.

This was revealed by Limpopo health MEC Phophi Ramathuba during the province's health budget speech at the provincial legislature in Lebowakgomo yesterday.

This year's budget speech was delivered against the backdrop of a wage strike by the department's employees.

Ramathuba said specialists who have already been recruited include the country's first black paediatric cardiologist and the province's first nephrologist.

The medical school, which is currently being hosted at the University of Limpopo's main campus in Mankweng, was officially opened last year.

Ramathuba said plans to develop a central tertiary hospital and medical school were long overdue. "The people of Limpopo cannot wait any more for these two important facilities."

She said the recruitment of specialists would improve the standard of health care in the province.

"These young people are here to make sure that indeed our tertiary services are of a high standard, and they will reduce the trips that our patients have to undertake outside the province to Dr George Mukhari and Steve Biko Academic hospitals in pursuit of sub-speciality care.

"We will continue to recruit more specialists," she said.

She said in addition to the super specialists, the department had also recruited 13 specialists, 269 medical doctors and 639 professional nurses.

The department has also committed to making sure that all clinics and community health facilities operate for 24 hours.

"This is in response to the outcry of our communities who for years have struggled to access healthcare at night when they needed emergency care the most," she said.

She said R41-million would be allocated towards the treatment of TB, while malaria received a R97-million allocation.