sector skills plan for the health sector in south africa

Organisations are also required to explain why they found it difficult to fill the positions that they
identified as scarce skills. Organisations in private sector organisations mentioned reasons such as
general shortages of health-related professional skills e.g. registered nurses and pharmacists, a wideranging
lack of qualified and experienced black people with the requisite skills, people’s unwillingness to
work in rural areas, and the difficult working hours (nights and weekends).
In public health, shortages were mostly related to growth in demand, difficulties to retain or replace
qualified staff, geographic location, new technology (which require staff specifically trained to operate
and maintain equipment), and migration of employees.
Table 4-4 Scarce skills in private and public health according to occupational category
Field
Managers
Medicine
Dental
Nursing
Pharmacy
Other
health
related
professions
Health
support
Occupational category
Number
of
vacancies
Private sector*
% of total
employment
in category
Number
of
people
needed
Public Service**
% of total
employment
in category
Financial managers 3 1 256 >100
ICT / IT Managers 300 >100
Medical Specialists 68 12 2 795 >100
Medical Practitioners 34 8 2 444 85
Medical Science
Technician/technologists 124 2 321 >100
Dental Specialists 285 >100
Dental Practitioners 1 3 599 >100
Dental Technician 12 18
Registered Nurses 1 273 7 12 542 44
Enrolled Nurses 1 372 9 327 1
Nursing Assistants 14 0 180 2
Nursing Educators and
Researchers 8 1 86 10
Pharmacists 423 10 1 587 71
Retail Dispensary / Pharmacy
Assistants 22 1 503 >100
Pharmacist Technicians 120 12
Dieticians 687 >100
Environmental Health Officers 240 >100
Occupational Therapists 6 5 343 >100
Physiotherapists 1 1 777 >100
Radiographers 26 1 326 24
Speech / Hearing Therapists 320 >100
Psychologists 2 0 91 35
Social and Welfare Professional 53 10 157 12
Ambulance Officers and
Paramedics 75 4 767 15
47