Question NW2870 to the Minister of Health
15 December 2020 - NW2870
Hlengwa, Ms MD to ask the Minister of Health
Whether, in view of recent media reports that have indicated that the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health has issued notices to doctors operating in the uMgungundlovu District that their contracts would be terminated this year due to lack of funds and that many of the specified doctors are over the age of 60 years and were hired to work within the specified district until the end of 2022 as part of a project by his department to meet the objectives of the National Health Insurance, he has been informed of doctors over the age of 60 years whose contracts have been terminated in the uMgungundlovu district; if not, what is his position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health informed me that they have sufficient funds from the National Health Insurance (NHI) Direct Grant for contracting of General Practitioners in line with their 2020/21 business plan.
The uMgungundlovu Health District has a one hundred percent (100%) Doctor coverage in its Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities.
The Department of Health issued notices only to five (5) Doctors who are over the age of seventy (70) years and eighty (80) years for their end of contract in order to achieve the following:-
1. Comply with the Public Service Act (PSA) section 16.
2. Re-distribution of Doctors to the neediest clinics in other Districts (as there were clinics under UMgungundlovu that had contracted between two (2) and three (3) Doctors per clinic, whereas there were shortages in other Districts).
3. Compliance with the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 health sector strategy “more health professionals should be on hand, especially in poor communities.”
END.