Question NW3642 to the Minister of Health
08 December 2017 - NW3642
Thembekwayo, Dr S to ask the Minister of Health
What is the ratio of (a) nurse and (b) doctor to patient in respect of each (i) hospital and (ii) clinic in the country, based on population within the catchment area for each hospital and clinic?
Reply:
Ratios of health workers to patient was always calculated as nation per unit total population. This was deemed not useful by the World Health Organisation (WHO) because it does not talk about the spread of this Health workforce within a country.
The WHO then came with a mathematical formula called WISN (Work Indicator for Staffing Needs).
We are busy calculating these needs using this mathematical formula.
END.