Minister Joe Phaahla said that there is no unqualified personnel employed in the public healthcare sector since 1 January 2022. He was replying to a member of the National Assembly, Michéle Clarke, who had asked for the number of unqualified personnel who are employed in the national and provincial public healthcare sector since 1 January 2022. The question also included ways in which the Department of Health monitors and ensures that only qualified personnel perform specialised jobs in the public healthcare sector. In Phaahla’s written reply, he outlines that all appointments in the public health sector are advertised in accordance with job specifications that outlines required qualifications and the job description that assists in monitoring that only qualifying applicants are recommended by the interviewing panel.

“Applicants are also required to submit their certified copies of qualifications to the employer prior to commencement of duty. This monitoring is further supported by functionality on the Personnel Salary System (Persal) that requires the employer to capture the qualifications of the incumbent against the position in question, assuring that the recommended candidate has the right qualification and carries the required relevant skills and attributes that enable him/her to perform specialised jobs in the public healthcare sector,” reads the reply.

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In a different question, Phaahla was asked for an audit of all unstaffed positions in state hospitals and/or clinics. He replied that as of 30 September 2022, according to the Persal System, the current overall number of vacancies for healthcare workers in South Africa, for those who provide health-related services (doctors, nurses) is 16 070, while the vacancies for healthcare workers who provide administration, is 4 764 in both hospitals and clinics. Phaahla also explained that some of the posts are funded, while some are unfunded. “Due to a constrained budget, a systematic process of approving funding and advertisements of posts by accounting officers in consultation with Provincial Treasuries is ongoing. This is to avoid exceeding Cost of Employment (COE) budgets,” the reply concludes.

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In the Free State, the FF Plus has asked a question about the staff shortage in the public health sector, which revealed that there is more than 6 000 vacant posts allegedly due to a lack of funds. The party believes that the shortage contributes to the poor state of health services in the province. Member of Parliament, Adriaan de Bruyn, said they are not satisfied with Phaahla's approach to the problem. “It is unacceptable that the health department has so many vacant posts because it hinders the quality of services patients receive in hospitals and clinics,” he said. He also explained that the provincial department of Health has appointed a task team to give priority to critical positions each year. The task team aims to fill 875 vacancies in March 2023 at a cost of more than R200 million. De Bruyn has asked Phaahla about the steps that would be taken to restore the province's health services.

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The current financial year saw 114 vacancies being filled at the province's foremost trauma hospital, the Pelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein. The departmental spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, said at the end of September 2022, 52 professional nurses have been appointed at the hospital, as well as 21 nursing assistants, 11 medical officers, 6 drivers, 5 switchboard operators, 3 operational managers, 3 artisan foremen, 3 medical specialists, 2 area managers (nursing), 2 boiler operators, 2 chief physiotherapists, 1 food service manager, 1 chief dietician, 1 dietician, and 1 chief occupational therapist. Staff shortages have been a major issue at the hospital, which the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) identified as a crisis during an oversight visit to healthcare facilities in the province.

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Back at the national level, Clarke previously told OFM News that the shortage of medical staff in the country remains a concern, as there are over 21 500 posts that still need to be filled by provincial departments of health countrywide. It was during May 2022 when she said that no form of communication has been made available from the National Department of Health as to when these posts will be filled. Clarke also stated that in the country, there are less than three doctors to care for one thousand patients within the health public sector.  

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