The DA in the Free State is demanding that unemployed health professionals be appointed in a bid to contain the rapid increase of coronavirus infections. The party says qualified community service doctors and interns should also be considered.
The Democratic Alliance says it has on several occasions written to the Health MEC Montseng Tsiu, requesting that a group of qualified young community service doctors and interns, who have not yet been registered by the Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA), be registered as a matter of urgency.
Free State DA Whip, Mariette Pittaway, says health care centres in the province are overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients.
“We appeal that they be registered as a matter of urgency to enable them to assist with the COVID-19 relief in the province. Given the surge of the second wave across the country and in the province, we would welcome any additional capacity to assist where required in the province. The DA wants to see all unemployed nurses and doctors and health workers who are able and willing to assist in the pandemic to be able to do so.”
EFF Free State chairperson Mandisa Makesini concurs. “Let them invite all those nurses all that are at home those doctors that are qualified.”
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) says government must swiftly take action and employ qualified health practitioners.
Denosa Free StateChairperson, Thibogang Thole, says, “Our hospitals are gradually getting full and nurses are getting exhausted and sick and this worsens the challenge of shortage of nurses that we have been calling for to be addressed as Denosa. We are calling on the government to employ as many nurses as possible and those on contract must be permanently employed because the demand is getting high.”
Free State Health Department has refuted claims that they are excluding qualified health practitioners.
Spokesperson Mondli Mvambi, “The Free State Department of Health has been working hard since the beginning of this year to make sure all health workers in all different categories doctors, nurses and everyone else who is able to register with the health professions council of South Africa is able to get their space in health facilities in the Free State we are busy processing their placement as and when they submit their documents so we don’t why anybody else will feel we are excluding we are not excluding anyone.
The ANC was not available to comment.
