R9bn needed to fill E Cape health posts

2012-03-15 10:02

East London - The Eastern Cape health department needs an extra R9bn to fill all vacant health posts, it was reported on Thursday.

The Daily Dispatch said that if the health department filled the 27 267 open jobs, it would need nearly half of its current annual budget.

More than half the open posts are for nurses.

The figures were quoted from the government’s human resource system [Persal] and the National Treasury’s database. The newspaper said the report on national staff shortages was leaked to it.

The report apparently shows a nationwide health staffing crisis with Limpopo the worst off. That province has a R14bn shortage with 39 653 vacant health posts. The Eastern Cape is the second worst in the country.

Eastern Cape health department superintendent-general, Siva Pillay, told the Dispatch that the existing healthcare platform in the province was unsustainable with the funding available.

“The vacancy rate is shocking and we are struggling to resolve it.”

- SAPA