MEDICAL SPECIALIST: PAEDIATRIC (X1 POST)

This position is for a Medical Specialist in Paediatrics at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, a major tertiary referral centre in KwaZulu-Natal. The successful candidate will join the paediatric department as a specialist who is expected to train in paediatric critical care while providing expert clinical services across the hospital. The role is graded according to the Occupational Specific Dispensation, with three possible grades depending on years of appropriate experience as a registered specialist. The post is based at the central hospital, where the incumbent will be part of a multi-disciplinary team managing some of the most complex paediatric cases in the province.

Applicants must hold an MB ChB degree and be registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa as a Specialist in Paediatrics, with a current registration certificate. Experience in critical care will be an advantage. For appointment at Grade 1, no post-registration experience is required. Grade 2 requires five years of appropriate experience as a Medical Specialist in Paediatrics after registration with the HPCSA, while Grade 3 requires ten years of such experience. The ideal candidate should have broad knowledge of general paediatrics and medical ethics, good communication and supervisory skills, and the ability to perform specialist assessment, diagnosis and management of patients. Familiarity with procedures and management protocols in paediatric critical care is essential, as is the capacity to work within multi-disciplinary teams and to supervise and teach both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Behavioural attributes include stress tolerance, teamwork, self-confidence, and the ability to build and maintain professional relationships.

The duties of the post are wide-ranging and clinically demanding. The specialist will be required to train in paediatric critical care and undertake ward rounds in the paediatric intensive care unit, high care and general wards. They will provide consultation services for referrals of children with critical illness, participate in calls for the paediatric service, and run clinics for patients who have been discharged from PICU or high care. Teaching forms a significant part of the role, including training fellows in subspecialty training, teaching undergraduate medical students, and training postgraduate students such as registrars and medical officers in paediatrics. The incumbent is also expected to undertake outreach visits to tertiary and regional hospitals, engage with the community, and be actively involved in clinical governance and quality improvement initiatives within the department.

Applicants should note that this is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. People with disabilities and African males are particularly encouraged to apply, although all race groups are welcome. Shortlisted candidates will be required to undergo pre-employment screening and verification, including a CIPC check, and will also undertake two pre-entry assessments: one practical exercise testing technical and generic suitability, and one integrity assessment. Foreign qualifications must be evaluated by the South African Qualifications Authority before the interview. Applications must be submitted using the prescribed Z83 form along with a detailed curriculum vitae, and certified copies of documents will only be requested from shortlisted candidates. Due to financial constraints, no subsistence and travel claims will be paid, and applicants who do not receive feedback within 60 days of the closing date should consider their application unsuccessful.