Health Professionals

Options and applications

Options available for healthcare workers wishing to apply for a job in southern African public healthcare

AHP's mission is to staff the health care facilities of southern Africa with a solid complement of enthusiastic people. We do, however, operate within the ethical restrictions and standards set by regulatory bodies such as the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and the Foreign Workforce Management Programme (FWMP).

For a better understanding of the options available to you, please consult the table below:

For citizens of economically developed countries (not on G77 list - see below)	There are many permanent and volunteer positions for foreign health professionals in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Most of these are at government hospitals, focusing specifically on the rural areas of the country. Depending on the country in which you qualified, you may be called upon to write a proficiency examination if you would like to work in South Africa. Examination or not, the process that you will need to follow in order to apply to work in southern Africa is quite onerous– and this is really AHP's primary reason for existence. We will guide you and facilitate the process every step of the way.
For citizens of G77 countries	AHP, in line with HPCSA regulations, has a policy of not recruiting candidates to work in South Africa if they come from countries that have a similarly desperate need for qualified professionals. (The exception to this rule is for candidates who are here under refugee status.) We can, however, facilitate placement into public hospitals in Swaziland and Lesotho. Our dedicated country offices will help you in this regard.
For health professionals who are citizens of South Africa:	AHP and its partners are working to create flexible opportunities for South Africans wishing to make a difference by choosing to practice medicine in the public service. There are numerous options available to you: Permanent placement: Long term, full time placement. We have positions available at Level 1, 2 and 3 government hospitals, as well as opportunities in the NGO sector. Volunteer work: Want to simply take some time out to do good in the world? Then why not look at doing some volunteer work? AHP can facilitate medium or long term placement at selected health facilities in South Africa. Locum placement: For those seeking a more flexible way of working, or who simply wish to supplement their income with some part time work, locum is the way to go. Working through AHP, you're also guaranteed payment within a week of working.
For support personnel who are citizens of South Africa	AHP regularly places support personnel into NGOs and medical facilities in southern Africa. If you are looking for a position helping out in the publlic health services, why not send us your CV and we will see what we can do?

A bit more about the different types of positions:

PERMANENT PLACEMENT
If you're considering taking your career in the health professions to the public or NGO sector, AHP is here to help. We have relationships with hospitals and facilities across the country, and are well positioned to match your profile to a position that will work well for you. We will also manage all administrative interactions with the facility on your behalf, until such time as you are appointed.

Is this job really for you? While much work has been done, you will be aware that there is still a long way to go in terms of improving standards in public hospitals in South Africa. Of course, those hospitals in the poorest condition tend to be those in most desperate need of staff. On the other hand, there are facilities (both public hospitals and NGO clinics) that really offer a great working environment. What you need to do, however, is to decide on your appetite for working in adverse conditions in order to serve, because while your presence will inevitably help improve conditions, a struggling hospital won't change overnight, and you need to be prepared to handle it. If you'd prefer an urban NGO or one of the nicer facilities, that's OK – you'll still be serving and making a difference. Better to be clear on what you want, so as to help us find the opportunity that best fits your needs!

LOCUM PLACEMENT:
Locum work is a great option if you're just looking for something part-time, possibly to supplement your income, or because you'd like to be of service to the public sector without committing yourself too far. Locum work is quite ad hoc, however. We keep your CV on a database, and whenever a short term opportunity comes in, we SMS everyone that fits the profile. If you're the first to respond, you get the job. The great thing about doing locum work for public hospitals through AHP is that your payment is guaranteed. You submit a timesheet every week, and we pay wages weekly, through our partner, the Foundation for Professional Development. (We then recover the fees from the hospital and you do not have to worry about it). Being on our database also ensures that you get access to information about any professional development courses that suit your profile.

VOLUNTEER WORK
For those simply wishing to take some time out to serve and make a difference, AHP is able to facilitate placement with hospitals that take in volunteers.

The G77 list of countries from whom South Africa may not "poach" doctors:
_{Afghanistan,Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bhutan. Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, CapeVerde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia(Federated States of), Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, VietNam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.}