KZN health dept fails to fill 93 specialist posts
Despite the “unfreezing” of a number of medical specialist posts at KwaZulu-Natal hospitals, there appears to be no urgency by the province’s health department to fill them, with a total of 93 funded positions still vacant, the Democratic Alliance said on Sunday.
According to a reply in the legislature by health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo, to questions by the DA, a moratorium on filling posts was still in place due to financial constraints. However, provision had been made for certain areas, DA MPL Rishigen Viranna said in a statement.
The reply also confirmed specialist numbers at regional hospitals – 241 filled funded specialist posts, 71 funded unfilled specialist posts, and 433 frozen unfunded specialist posts.
In KwaZulu-Natal’s two tertiary hospitals, there were 123 filled funded specialist posts, 22 funded unfilled specialist posts, and 78 frozen unfunded specialists posts, Viranna said.
“This means that while provisions have been made for the salaries of 93 specialist posts, no one has been employed.”
This was unacceptable, especially “after we reported two months ago that there are currently 10,000 critical post vacancies within the department”.
“Given this chronic overall shortage the department should fill these funded posts as a matter of urgency.
“The DA demands that the MEC and his department focus on the filling of funded specialist posts and start providing the services that it keeps promising.
“We are committed to keeping a close eye on this matter and will continue to hold the department accountable in the event that it fails to act swiftly,” Viranna said.