The Zambia Medical Association – ZMA Secretary General Dr. Roy Tolopu has disclosed to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT that fresh graduate doctors are currently not allowed to work in private hospitals or abroad without first working for the government.
Responding to a ZBT enquiry on why graduate doctors are not simply opting to join the many private practices and hospitals that have been opened across the country if the government has no funds to timely employ them, ZMA stated that there is need for government to put in place a lasting solution that will be allowing fresh Medical Doctors to work in the private sector or even abroad without having any licensing challenges.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times – ZBT- Dr. Tolopu said Doctors in Zambia are currently not allowed to work in the private practices nor abroad without first working in government to get a full license.
Dr. Tolopu revealed that graduating Medical Doctors are only entitled to a provisional licenses which limits them from working in the private sector or abroad. This is leaving graduate doctors with no option but pushing to work for the government to attain a full practicing license.
He explained that currently, the law states that Medical Doctors are required to first work in government for not less than 1 year 6 months before they can be admitted to any other medical institution.
Dr. Tolopu said the problem of having unemployed Doctors will continue as the number of Medical schools in the country has increased causing an increase in the number of Medical Doctors being offloaded onto the streets seeking placements with the government.
“Previously someone would just graduate from a medical school and the results comes out with an opportunity of a medical doctor getting employed, but that is not the case anymore.” He revealed.
The ZMA Secretary General further told ZBT that he was aware that government is capable of employing the 800 Doctors at once and if government do not want to do so, let it start giving fresh Doctors full licenses so that they can apply for jobs in the private sector or out of the country.
The ZMA secretary General said there is need for Government, Zambia Medical Association and other key stakeholders to sit down and come up with a long term plan that will address the challenges facing Medical Doctors in the country.
Unemployed medical Doctors on Monday February 21st 2022 staged a public protest with intentions to march to State House (the official residence and office for the President of Zambia) but were blocked by police.
The graduate doctors were demanding that government should clearly state when it is going to fulfil its promises to employ 11,200 healthy workers which includes medical doctor as promised in the 2022 National budget presentation speech.
