title: Distribution of health personnel in the Republic of South Africa with special reference to medical practitioners.
abstract: Data from various sources indicate that there is no shortage of medical practitioners in the RSA. This was confirmed in a 1990 survey by the Department of National Health and Population Development. The perceived shortage is relative in nature and due to a geographical and functional maldistribution. The majority (77%) of medical practitioners reside in metropolitan areas in the RSA; the ratio of doctors to members of the population is 1:696. Only 23% of medical practitioners practise in non-metropolitan areas; the calculated ratio is 1:1 920. The overall ratio in the self-governing territories is 1:15 272 and compares unfavourably with the ratios in non-metropolitan magisterial districts in the RSA. The medical practitioner/population ratio varies fifty-fold between the metropolitan areas in the RSA and the essentially rural self-governing territory of Lebowa (1:30 449). The registered medical practitioner/population ratios for the various development regions vary from 1:672 to 1:7 642. Failure to address these imbalances will have serious implications for the future rendering of acceptable and equitable health care.
authors.affiliation: Department of National Health and Population Development, Pretoria.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Benade
mesh_terms: D003710:Demography; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010820:Physicians / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D013019:South Africa