Gauteng hospital shortages laid bare

The Gauteng Health Department has 9510 vacancies out of 72,308 approved posts.

This is revealed in the Department’s 2013/14 Annual Report that was tabled recently in the Gauteng Legislature, according to DA MPL Jack Bloom.

The overall vacancy rate is 11.7%, with higher vacancies in skilled medical positions.

Gauteng hospitals are short of 420 doctors out of 2397 posts (17%) and 2208 professional nurses out of 15 537 posts (23%).

Other high vacancies are as follows:

• Professional Nurse Students - 1,054 vacancies out of 4706 posts (22%)
• Pharmacists - 96 vacancies out of 546 posts (17%)
• Medical Practitioner Interns - 187 vacancies out of 1084 posts (17%)
• Medical Specialists - 309 vacancies out of 2536 posts (12%)
• Staff nurses - 870 vacancies out of 7071 posts (12%)

Last year, Bloom said, 5,231 staff left the department, of which 2,173 (41.5%) resigned and 1,669 left because their contracts expired (32%).

"The high vacancies are a major reason for poor service in Gauteng hospitals," he said. "It compares poorly with the 4.7% vacancy rate in the Western Cape Health Department.

"Every effort must be made to fill posts at Gauteng hospitals, including improved conditions to attract skilled personnel."