The spokesperson at the Provincial Department of Health, Mondli Mvambi, says of the nurses hired, 22 are professional nurses, while 32 are nursing assistants. Mvambi says the appointments were made to strengthen the quality of healthcare at the ageing facility. The mental health hospital has over the last few years reportedly been facing chronic staff shortages.

The number of positions filled at the hospital came up during a visit to the hospital on Thursday morning. The management of FSCP and the Provincial Health Department weighed in on the concerns raised by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) last week, refuting several of the claims made by Adv. Bokankatla Malatji.

Mvambi also commented on reports of the absence of a caterer, explaining the hospital used to have a contract with a company to purchase and prepare the food, but after the contract expired, they decided not to renew it and instead insourced the employees. This then meant the hospital needed to outsource the service of purchasing the food, which the corporate services division is busy with.

Despite the employees that have been insourced, the kitchen remains understaffed, something which hospital management acknowledges and stresses they have improved upon. Nine food supervisors, 28 cleaners and one dietician are amongst the many support personnel that have been hired since March 2019.

OFM News