The North West health department, which has faced a service delivery crisis over the past three years, has a backlog of over 4000 vacant positions, to address some of its problems.
About 200 of them are currently being advertised, in an effort by national government to restore order, following the resignation of former premier Supra Mahumapelo.
Health workers in the North West have been working under tremendous pressure due to staff shortages — the basis of the crisis that’s engulfed the province. This is according to the Health and Other Service Personnel Trade Union (HOSPERSA).
The union says shortage of resources at health facilities is one of the many challenges they are grappling with. HOSPERSA provincial chairperson, Mzukisi Jam says staff morale is at it’s lowest because the department has prioritised senior positions over staff doing ground work.
“At the current moment we don’t know where we stand in terms of vacancies. But what I can tell you is that we still have a serious staff shortage – which obviously compromises service delivery. Because I am failing to understand, to say how did they get to say the managerial posts of priority. According to me, the managers are not the ones who are actually doing the actually job.”
The DA in the North West says while the health department is under-funded — mismanagement of resources and corruption have contributed to the province’s financial woes.
The DA’s Dr Tutu Faleni says priority should be given to positions that deal with servicing the people.
“People are suffering out there because from a human resource point of view the department has done terribly bad that we don’t have people to provide day to day medical care. If they are, there are few of them. The morale is low. Doctors are overworked, nurses have a burn-out and this have been proven also by a climate survey which was conducted by the department and people are leaving the North West province because doctors are overburdened.”
The provincial legislature’s health committee says the finance department must also shoulder the blame for the backlog, especially during the era of former premier, Supra Mahumapelo. Committee chairperson, Madoda Sambatha says at the time, government departments which needed to fill positions also had to make a motivation to the office of the premier.
“Predominantly most of them are the necessary practitioners that are required by law for the service to actively function. As a portfolio committee we are saying to them priority must be on those that are directly responsible for delivery of services they must to prioritise managers, because office managers are not going improve what the public has a problem with.”
The provincial health department says the backlog was caused by financial constraints. Health MEC, Dr Magome Masike says they don’t have the budget to fill all the positions.
“We have the budget for the present 223 posts and we will re-advertise as soon as we get more money but yes for the advertised posts we do not have the money.”
Dr Masike could not say how long it would take to fill the remaining positions.
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