Some employees at the Mahikeng Provincial Hospital in the North West have anonymously raised concerns of a shortage of radiographers.
They say it impacts negatively on their ability to attend to patients whose conditions require undergoing X-rays first.
Concerned employees say radiographers are told not to exceed a certain number of hours of overtime, and this leads to not having enough radiographers on call.
Nursing Union DENOSA says the challenge was caused by recent changes, which include radiographers not being allowed to exceed their limit of 30% overtime.
The organisation’s provincial secretary, Reuben Molete, says, “People who are badly affected are the radiographers because they were affected by the DPSA circular that said employees must not work more than 30% overtime. But we will forever call on permanent appointments, especially for an institution like Mahikeng Provincial Hospital, which is a referral level 14 institution, to say: Can we have a full complement of staff 24 hours a day in the institutions?”
However, the department’s spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane, insists that there is no crisis at the hospital.
“There is really no crisis as far as the availability of radiographers is concerned because the cases that are not rescheduled are non-emergencies. The facility itself always makes sure that there is a radiographer on standby in case of possible emergencies. As far as the issue of overtime is concerned, that matter is regulated. We know that we are not allowed to go beyond 30%.”
The North West Department of Health added that the radiography unit at the hospital will soon be beefed up.
“However, the department has fast tracked the issue of the appointment for vacant posts of radiographers at Mahikeng Provincial Hospital. I can confirm that there were interviews done for three posts of radiographer that have been concluded, and they are about to be appointed. There has also been the arrival of community service doctors who are radiographers to come and beef up the radiography unit at Mahikeng Provincial Hospital,” says Lekgethwane.
