By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Department of Health has announced a R1.7 billion budget allocated towards the employment of healthcare professionals.
Health Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi together with the provincial MECs responsible for Health briefed the media on various health issues including procurement of health equipment, recruitment of health professionals including doctors, announcement of Ministerial Advisory Committees, implementation of the National Health Insurance.
The briefing took place on the sidelines of the National Health Council meeting, otherwise known as MinMEC in other sectors of government.
Motsoaledi said that the decision is in line the new budget presentation by the finance minister in March.
“The council has approved advertisements of 1,200 jobs for doctors, 200 [jobs for] nurses, and 250 [jobs for] other healthcare professionals. The human resources unit will soon commence with recruitment processes.”
Motsoaledi said that during the time of protests by unemployed doctors, including those who marched to the Department of Health’s headquarters in KwaZulu-Natal, the department could not address their grievances due to budgetary constraints brought by consistent austerity measures that have in place for over a decade.
He said the Human Resources Units in the department would begin the recruitment processes after the finalization of all logistic processes.
The minister detailed plans to purchase 1.4 million hospital items to address critical shortages in public healthcare facilities.
This significant procurement includes 25 000 specialised hospital beds at a cost of R725 million.
“One of the most embarrassing experiences the public sector had to endure is the shortage of simple things that will make the stay of patients a worthwhile experience,” Motsoaledi noted.
The equipment purchase will also include 80 000 mattresses (R38.7 million), 76 525 bassinets for newborns (R309.5 million), and 1.25 million linen items, including bed sheets and pillows (R273 million).
The total investment amounts to R1.346 billion.
Motsoaledi referenced past incidents that motivated these purchases, including the “sense of shame” when babies were placed in cardboard boxes at Mahikeng Hospital in the North West.
He also addressed concerns about antiretroviral (ARV) medication supplies following US President Donald Trump’s cuts to Pepfar and USAid funding.
Despite meeting with international donors — who shared their lack of capacity to replace the American funding — Motsoaledi promised continued treatment for HIV patients.
“The Global Fund has given us permission to order R1 billion worth of ARVs,” he stated, describing this as the first significant help received despite numerous promises.
Motsoaledi also addressed multiple legal challenges to the National Health Insurance (NHI) legislation.
The department has submitted answering affidavits in response to cases brought by Solidarity and the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF), with rulings expected in six months.
Additional legal challenges have been filed by the South African Private Practitioners Forum (SAPPF), the Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA), and most recently, the South African Medical Association (SAMA).