15,000 health worker posts to be filled, minister announces

The national department of health will spend R2bn to fill more than 15‚000 posts for health workers across SA’s public health facilities‚ a move that will provide much-needed employment and help alleviate staff shortages that have plagued the sector.

The new jobs include 9‚797 newly qualified health professionals – community-service dentists‚ nurses‚ pharmacists and allied health professionals – who will begin internships or community-service posts.

SA’s public healthcare system has been beset by staff and infrastructure shortages‚ issues that have taken centre stage as discussions about National Health Insurance – set to be implemented by 2026 – gain momentum.

The country has a shortage of 47‚000 nurses.

In September‚ President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that as part of an economic stimulus and recovery plan‚ the government would reprioritise R50bn of its budget to create jobs and revive the economy.

The new jobs were announced by health minister Aaron Motsoaledi on behalf of the National Health Council last week.

Of the more than 15‚000 posts – to be filled from January – 5‚300 will be clinical and support health workers across the nine provinces, including doctors who are specialists‚ even in rare medical conditions.

“Understaffing has been cited as one of the major contributing factors which have affected the provision of healthcare‚” Motsoaledi said.

The National Education Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu)‚ although welcoming the decision to fill the positions‚ said 5‚300 posts were not enough to ensure that the sector performed at its best.

The union said the pace of filling the positions was too slow, as Ramaphosa had announced the stimulus package more than two months ago.