According to leaked departmental communication‚ the department wanted to train 366 black‚ 32 Indian‚ 12 white and four coloured registrars to meet employment equity targets. The registrar programme trains doctors to become specialists over four years.
“This means 238 posts must be filled with Africans to take the current 128 filled posts to the target of 366. This implies that the 100 new posts must go to Africans in terms of the targets‚ else if there are no suitable Africans‚ the posts must be re-advertised.”
Registar steering committee chairperson Bongani Shezi signed off the targets on September 17 2018 and alternate registrar steering committee chairperson Dr Thandeka Khanyile on September 3 2018.
The leaked communication said the provincial health department may deviate from targets‚ with the necessary approval‚ if it could not find a candidate‚ but “this is not recommended from the department”.
Mafunda confirmed the internal communication.
The provincial health department said on its website that doctors had to leave registrar positions after four years‚ “irrespective if they have completed their examinations or not”. This is to ensure that the new group of registrars can be appointed so that the potential pool of specialists grows.”