Question NW431 to the Minister of Health
08 March 2024 - NW431
Hlengwa, Ms MD to ask the Minister of Health
With regard to the R848 billion allocated to his department over the Medium-term Expenditure Framework by the Minister of Finance, Mr E Godongwana, what total number of (a) doctors and (b) nurses will be employed?
Reply:
The allocated budget of R848 billion for the Health sector is inclusive of the following obligations:
- Payment of current employees and the impact of wage bill agreement
- Provision of the health services in all facilities
- Medical equipment
- Maintenance and construction of new facilities
Included in the above budget is an additional budget of R3.7 billion has been allocated towards compensation of employees in the sector for the financial year 2024/25 to address the wage bill increase and recruitment of additional staff including nurses and medical doctors.
The department has been in constant communication with the representatives of and individual unemployed doctors since beginning of the year. Whilst interacting with the different lists submitted and comparing them with the Persal system, the following conclusion was deduced:
- 417 duplications from grand total of 1415
- 13 applicants still to complete their Community Service
- 2 registered as Internship
- 6 interested in Specialist Posts
- 860 completed Community Service in December 2023
a) Provincial Departments of Health have already advertised 823 since December 2023 and have reported projections of 1103 Medical Officer appointments by 1st April 2024.
b) Consolidation of funded posts for Nurses will be confirmed by the 15th March 2024.
END.