Dailydispatch Unhealthy overtime bill should be addressed urgently

The Eastern Cape health department has been red-flagged at the National Assembly for paying hundreds of millions of rands in overtime for its employees. In the financial year ending March 31, the department paid R922m in overtime, a remarkable increase from the financial year before, when R829m was spent. The department has lost more than 300 workers to Covid-19 and none of these employees have been replaced. Worker unions have been calling for these posts, and others, to be filled as staff are so overworked that doctors do not even have time for proper breaks between shifts. It is common knowledge that a number of the province’s rural healthcare centres do not have enough personnel, forcing those who are on the ground to work many more than their stipulated hours.

To make matters worse, a number of medical personnel on the government payroll are not paid enough, hence they end up not only working overtime but also moonlighting to make extra money. Such overwork carries the risk of losing concentration at work, which in turn can lead to injuries to patients. The department is already drowning in neglect litigation worth billions of rands.

Calls by unions for salary adjustments have not yielded desired results. Many state departments are struggling to address issues of performance management and development incentives. This means even if policies are in place, they fall flat at implementation, leaving workers frustrated.

The health department came under fire earlier in the year for saying it intended to lay off about 8,000 contract workers due to lack of funds. New HOD Dr Rolene Wagner this week said the overtime money was being paid to officials who are working to ensure 24hour coverage in health facilities.

Wagner said they were reviewing payments through the provincial cost-containment structure to ensure that only necessary overtime is approved.

For two years in a row the department has paid more than R1.7bn in overtime. Can we blame this on the pandemic? We don’t think so.

Will the measures that Wagner is talking about help the department cut these costs? We believe overtime can be addressed only by filling vacant posts.

Healthcare centres need optimum staff to function properly, and Wagner would know that better than most as a former hospital boss.

If drastic measures are not taken soon, the department could be red-flagged again next year for spending more money than it should on overtime.

Overtime can be addressed only by filling vacant posts. Healthcare centres need optimum staff to function properly