The newly appointed head of the department of health and social development in Vhembe, Mr Pandelani Ramawa, has urged staff at different hospitals in the district to have a change of attitude if they were to keep the doctors and other health professionals in the district.

Ramawa was speaking during a function at Khoroni Hotel on Wednesday evening, when 13 doctors and 15 allied interns, who will soon be dispatched to different communities in Vhembe, were formally welcomed.

Mr Nndwamato Sirwali, senior manager of primary health care in Vhembe, said it was important that the new doctors and allied workers be welcomed for them to feel at home. “We have to make these professionals comfortable. We have to look at ways to keep them even after their period ends here, and one way of doing this is by making them part of the bigger health department family. We are also giving them a chance to interact with senior management with whom they would work on a regular basis,” he said.

Ramawa, who took over the reigns in Vhembe late last year, said the district, just like other parts of the country, was facing a dire shortage of medical professionals, more especially medical doctors and it was only a change of attitude that would keep them in the district and also encourage them to lure their friends to work in the district. “I was part of guests who attended a farewell function for interns late last year where I happened to interact with some of them and they cited attitude as one of the reasons as to why they would not come back and work in the district. We have to make a turnaround this time to keep them, “he said.

He urged CEOs and clinical managers at different hospitals to go out and preach a change of attitude at their institutions in terms of how they interact with professionals. This will go a long way in easing the backlog of qualified professionals, which has become a burden for service delivery of quality health care.

Representing the new doctors, Dr Phathutshedzo Maligana said it was not by mistake that they chose to work in Vhembe.

“I did my internship here and found the district very welcoming. We know the challenges here and we are happy that a commitment had been made by the department to better them. We are here to serve our communities and we do so from the bottom of our hearts. Who knows, we might as well decide to stay here after our community service period elapses ,” she said.