The National Health Council has allocated R1.78 billion for the recruitment of 1,200 doctors, 200 nurses, and 259 additional healthcare professionals.

On Thursday, the National Health Council which comprised Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi and provincial Health MECs, provided an update on various health matters, including the recruitment of health professionals, the procurement of medical equipment, and the announcement of new ministerial advisory committees.

In January, the South African Medical Association (SAMA) raised concerns about 1,800 unemployed junior doctors. 

The following month Motsoaledi told Parliament that demand for employment, both for healthcare professionals and for community service posts, has grown steadily over the past five years.

“Earlier this year, the country woke up to widespread dissatisfaction regarding the employment of healthcare professionals, particularly doctors,” he says. 

“Unfortunately, at that time, the department could not act due to budgetary constraints brought about by over a decade of austerity measures.”

The advertisement of posts was approved by the National Health Council following the Finance Minister’s budget speech last month.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana also revealed that the health system lost nearly 9,000 healthcare workers last year.

“We did not have the funds to retain or replace them, even after reprioritising budgets initially set aside for consumables and medicines,” he said. “R28.9 billion has now been added to the health budget, primarily to retain 9,300 healthcare workers in our hospitals and clinics.”

He further announced that health spending is projected to rise from R277 billion in the 2024/25 financial year to R329 billion by the 2027/28 financial year.

Motsoaledi says many of the health policies adopted at the dawn of democracy are now outdated and have outlived their intended purpose.

“Some of these policies have resulted in unnecessary costs without delivering any meaningful benefits. In fact, they’ve contributed to undermining the public sector’s ability to provide quality healthcare services,” Motsoaledi says.

In efforts to address this, the National Health Council has resolved to initiate a comprehensive review of existing health policies.

Procurement 

Motsoaledi acknowledged that one of the most embarrassing aspects of public health is the persistent shortage of basic items that could significantly improve patient experience.

“We have checked province by province to see what is needed in the form of hospital beds, and bassinets for babies”, he says.

He says the department still remembers with a sense of shame how newborn babies were put in cardboard boxes in Mahikeng Hospital in the North West. 

“Today the council has decided that 1.4 million articles need to be bought and delivered to our hospitals,” he says. 

These will include 25,000 beds, 80,000 mattresses, bed sheets and pillows.

“The stark difference between public and private healthcare facilities is often not just in clinical care but in non-clinical aspects of patient care which include cleanliness, meals, linen, furniture and overall comfort,” Motsoaledi says. –Health-e News