Better earnings & meaningful work for graduates & locums are just 1 step away - this is how we can get unemployed doctors working again in South Africa
Phew, 2024 started with a not-so-pleasant bang with the news that over 1’000 doctors are currently unemployed in SA.
This is as the country is amid a healthcare skills shortage that the chairperson of the South African Medical Association (SAMA), Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa, describes as “dire”.
And not much hope for improvement, as it seems public hospitals are out of money. (Learn how medical aids could reduce out-of-hospital costs by R3bn per year.)
Perhaps that’s why unemployed graduate Dr Mumtaaz (Taz) Emeran-Thomas, aka @thepeoples_dr’s TikTok post went viral.
She says SA’s unemployed doctors have only 3 options:
Scary. But there is a fourth option that Dr Taz might have missed…
While young doctors’ assertion that opening their own practice is expensive is accurate – we checked and it costs between R1m and R2m just to get a new practice set up – there is a much more affordable and faster option…
Setting up a virtual practice costs only R500pm and it takes only 24 hours.
So many doctors are joining the Udok Providers Network because it’s a really powerful option for expanding your medical practice in SA – not just young graduates, either; many established doctors are setting up virtual practices for the ease and comfort of doing things online. (Not to mention wealthier clients actually asking them for it.)
And Udok doctors are earning a very decent living with their virtual practices.
“Like most, I was kinda forced to explore the virtual practice tech during Covid,” says Udok doctor Dr Melanie Kruger, “but I will never look back. It took only a few minutes to set up, and then I was seeing more patients than I ever could manage in person.”
“The biggest benefit of using Udok for me as a modern medical doctor is being able to do it from anywhere! As long as I have access to some privacy, a smart device and internet, I can help my patients. I would recommend setting up a virtual practice with Udok to any doctor in South Africa.”
We’ve seen 100% growth in the number of patients choosing to see their doctor via their phone or laptop, in the comfort of their own home, between 2022 and 2023. And we’re expecting it to keep growing similarly in the coming years.
So the best time to get started is right now.
If you know a grad or locum battling to find work, or if you are looking to add the convenience of virtual consultations to your existing practice, see how to set up a virtual practice right now.
PS: Did you know you can now see a Udok doctor on medical aid and no co-payment? Also learn who can write a sick note.
The doctor will see you now
Plus: No queues, no waiting, no travelling necessary. You can speak to one of the best doctors in South Africa right now, on your device – within 1 minute.
They can give you a prescription, sick note, advice & can even write referrals for lab tests – anything you need from the comfort of your home.
