Tanzania plans to limit doctors’ private practice for youth jobs
What you need to know:
- Mwalimu proposes setting a cap on the number of public sector employees who can transition to private practice
Dar es Salaam. The government is developing a strategy to limit public doctors’ involvement in private practice to create more jobs for unemployed health workers, particularly the youth.
Health minister Ummy Mwalimu announced this yesterday at the 2024 National Human Resources for Health (HRH) Conference, highlighting the challenge of absorbing healthcare workers into formal employment.
The minister was speaking at an event organised by the Benjamin W. Mkapa Foundation.
Addressing the issue of doctors establishing private hospitals after working hours, Minister Mwalimu suggested setting a minimum number and percentage of public sector employees who could transition to private practice to ensure more young people can find employment.
“We are looking at ways to increase employment opportunities for young people in the health sector.
If you are in the public sector and have established a private hospital, we will mandate that only a certain percentage of professionals with other permanent jobs can practice there.
This will provide opportunities for more young people from the community who are currently unemployed,” she said.
She assured that the proposal would be presented to Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa after the ministry completes the analysis.
Minister Mwalimu emphasised that the ministry plans to develop a strategy to balance the number of nurses and doctors trained with the number that can be realistically employed.
“We shouldn’t aim to fill classrooms or produce underqualified individuals.
This is an ongoing discussion,” she noted, indicating the need to match training outputs with employment opportunities.
“Do we need to train 2,000 nurses per year when we can only employ 300 per year? We shouldn’t aim to fill classrooms or produce underqualified individuals.
Similarly, should we continue producing 1,500 doctors per year when we can’t employ more than 200 doctors annually? Even the private sector does not absorb more than 200 doctors.
This is an issue we are looking into,” the minister asserted.
The HRH summit is run with the theme “Health Workforce: A Cornerstone to Resilient and Sustainable Development Agenda,” highlighting the importance of political commitment, collaborative dialogue, and informed discussions in creating a resilient and sustainable health sector in Tanzania.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa launches the Fourth Strategic Plan of the Benjamin Mkapa Institute in Dar es Salaam yesterday. From the left is the Chief Executive of the Mkapa Institute, Ms Helen Mkondaya, the Chairman of the Mkapa Institute, Dr Adeline Kimambo, minister of Health Ummy Mwalimu and Zanzibar minister of Health, Nassor Ahmed Mazrui (right). PHOTO | PMO
During the event, Prime Minister Kassimu Majaliwa emphasised the importance of investing in human resources to enhance healthcare services for citizens.
“The theme of this conference emphasises investing in human resources to enhance the quality of healthcare services for the citizens,” he said.
He also paid tribute to the late President Benjamin William Mkapa for his contributions to the health sector.
“Late President Mkapa was a meticulous leader who accomplished a lot.
We remember him for preparing the 25-year vision that we are now implementing, improving systems, and establishing various institutions, including the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
We will continue to remember him, and all of us, with our diverse beliefs, should continue to pray for him to rest in peace,” he said.
Benjamin Mkapa Foundation’s chief executive, Dr Ellen Mkondya-Senkoro, highlighted the importance of the conference’s declarations, which will be presented at the climax of the summit, graced by President Samia Suluhu Hassan tomorrow, July 31, 2024.
“Since its establishment, the Mkapa Foundation has remained true to our founders’ long-term vision of supplementing and complementing the development efforts of Tanzania.
Over the years, we have demonstrated outstanding performance in reinforcing health delivery systems, particularly in underserved communities across Tanzania,” she said.
Dr Mkondya-Senkoro stated: “Our distinctive position and contributions were further validated when the government recognised the foundation as a leading technical partner in strengthening public health systems, particularly the health workforce.”.
