Doctors say semantics must be put aside to save critical healthcare posts

The South African Medical Association (SAMA) has reiterated there are unfilled or frozen doctors posts‚ affecting quality of healthcare‚ despite strong denials from Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.

The Times reported recently that many provinces resorted to not hiring doctors as a way to handle budget cuts and a lack of money at the end of the financial year. However‚ it proved impossible for researchers from the Rural Health Advocacy Project to find out how many posts were frozen. Some posts were completely abolished‚ the project learnt from hospitals.

But the minister said this was not true.

Motsoaledi said he asked doctors who had been refused jobs to come forward and in the past two weeks‚ only one doctor had contacted his office.

The Minister also said he had telephoned MECs in five provinces - Mpumalanga‚ Free State‚ Limpopo‚ Eastern Cape and Kwazulu-Natal - and they all assured him no posts were frozen.

But on Monday‚ SAMA said it has reports from hospitals in rural areas that posts are not being filled or appointment letters are not signed off by provincial leaders when the signature was needed to appoint the doctor.

The Association's CEO Mzukisi Grootboom said "political semantics around what constitutes a 'frozen post' need to be put aside so that the National Health Department and Treasury can address the real issue of funding and protecting critical healthcare posts now falling victim to increasing tight austerity measures".

Grootboom said that‚ ahead of the budget speech‚ SAMA would like Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to "acknowledge the need to identify and protect critical healthcare posts and other social sectors in spite of South Africa’s pressing budget constraints".

He asked for "transparency and openness" so that there could be joint decision-making by government bureaucrats and hospital managers on the ground on which posts should be filled.

"Decisions must be informed by what’s happening on the ground‚ not just financial considerations‚" he said.

Support staff posts must also not be frozen. “A hospital without cleaners cannot deliver a safe service - there’s no point in having doctors if there’re no support services and staff‚” Grootboom said.