Question NW2451 to the Minister of Health
03 December 2021 - NW2451
Van Staden, Mr PA to ask the Minister of Health
(1)What is the current number of vacancies at the Pelonomi Private Hospital in Bloemfontein, Free State, with regard to (a) nurses, (b) doctors, (c) cleaners, (d) maintenance officials, (e) administrative officials and (f) management personnel; (2) for what period has each of the specified vacancies not been filled; (3) what are the reasons that the specified vacancies have not been filled by his department; (4) whether corrective measures are being implemented by his department to ensure that the specified hospital operates with full personnel components; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (5) whether he will make a statement on the matter?
Reply:
1. The number of vacancies at the Pelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein, Free State, as drawn from the Persal System and confirmed by the province are as follows (a) Nurses – 113, (b) Doctor – 22, (c) Cleaners – 33, (d) Maintenance officials – 5, Administrative Officials – 4 and (f) Management Personnel – 21.
2. These posts were vacated between the periods September 2009 to May 2021.
3. Due to financial constraints in the Free State Province, the priority of filling vacant posts is given to clinical posts. The Department does that to avoid unauthorised expenditure on Compensation of Employees (COE) within the budgetary allocation (VOTE), in accordance with Treasury Regulation 8.3 read with the PFMA section 76(4)(b) and Treasury Regulation 9 read with PFMA sections 38(1)g and 76(2)(e).” The Department is also busy with a process of reviewing the Organizational Structures of Hospitals including Pelonomi and the process is already at an advanced stage. It is anticipated that some of these posts might become redundant.
4. In order to ensure that the Hospital services are not compromised, as a temporary control measure, the Department has appointed a committee that focus in identify posts that are critical for filling. Based on the recommendation of the said Committee, those posts are urgently filled on a contract basis as when the need arise (i.e. While the Organizational Structural review is underway). The department also makes provision for approved overtime as one of the measures in ensuring that service delivery is not compromised.
5. The department will make a statement on the matter once the process of the Organizational Structure review is completed, defined in line with the service delivery requirements.
END.