Question NW1952 to the Minister of Health
12 June 2023 - NW1952
Chirwa, Ms NN to ask the Minister of Health
(a) What steps has he taken in response to the report emanating from the three-day visit to the Free State by the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in 2022 to investigate the status of healthcare facilities, following an influx of complaints from the patients in the province during which the SAHRC noted critical human resource shortages, including doctors, nurses, specialists, ambulance staff and community healthcare workers, amongst other findings, and (b) by what date does he envisage to have eradicated the specified challenges that have an impact on the quality of healthcare and access to healthcare facilities in the province?
Reply:
(a) In the quest to respond to the report emanating from the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) three-day visit to the Free State in 2022, the FS Provincial Department of Health has informed that to date, a total of 862 critical health professionals posts (i.e. 774 medical doctors, 74 Specialists, 664 Nurses and 4 Paramedics) were filled.
These posts were filled despite general budget cuts that negatively affects the Compensation of Employment (CoE).
The Province has further introduced stringent control measures to manage the filling of positions which are:
(i) Prioritization of the posts in the Annual Recruitment Plan – where funding permits;
(ii) Prioritization of the posts for conditional grant funding;
(iii) Continuous engagement with Provincial Treasury for approval of filling of posts;
(iv) Filling of replacement posts considered and approved by-weekly; and
(v) Advertisements published National wide through print media.
(b) The Free State Provincial Department of Health is unable to state a specific date of when the specified challenges will be eradicated. However, it can confirm that incremental action plans (i.e. per facility) are being implemented. They are at various stages of implementation and are monitored closely by the Provincial Head Office.
END.