Health Minister Joe Phaahla on Tuesday said that he was working with Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to find a solution for the recruitment of unemployed medical doctors to positions that were not budgeted for.
Speaking during the debate on the State of the Nation Address (Sona), Phaahla said they were doing everything to retain as many doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and other professionals in the public health system.
“I am therefore happy to announce that working with the minister of finance we have a solution to address the current challenge of doctors who want to stay in the public service but could not be offered funded posts.
“The details of how we are going to fund the posts will come out from Minister Godongwana’s Budget speech next Wednesday,” he said.
Phaahla also said the department’s team was working with the National Treasury to thrash out the details and with provincial health departments to speed up the process so that all those who will not already be in posts can be able to start by April.
“I am confident that with this certainty, provinces will be able to start giving appointment letters even before April 1. I am sorry to disappoint all those political parties who were hoping to cash in on the disappointment of the doctors.”
Phaahla made the announcement as more than 100 unemployed KwaZulu-Natal doctors who had completed their community service, marched to the Department of Health offices in Pietermaritzburg on Monday to hand over a memorandum of grievances.
Phaahla also said the measures they were working on with Godongwana would give them sufficient breathing space while they were working on long-term solutions.
The minister used his speech to thank Parliament for passing the NHI Bill, which is waiting to be signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Delivering his Sona last Thursday, Ramaphosa said he was going through the bill and that he was “looking for a pen”.
“As stated in the bill, it will be implemented in two remaining phases from 2024-2026 and then 2026-2028 focusing on establishing the institutions, key among which is the board and CEO and several key committees of the NHI Fund.
“Simultaneously, strengthening of the health delivery platform will be speeded up,” Phaahla said.
He also said they were confident the innovative funding of infrastructure as stated by Ramaphosa would also contribute to health facilities.
“In the meantime the National Department of Health is strengthening the NHI branch, which is focusing on key delivery areas such as healthcare benefits design, digital health systems and risk identification and fraud prevention, to mention a few.”
Earlier during the Sona debate, IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa said Ramaphosa should stop looking for a pen to sign the NHI Bill into law.
“The IFP supports universal health access, but the NHI is a recipe for disaster. Where will the funding come from? The minister has already confirmed that the government does not have funds to hire doctors,” he said.
Hlabisa added that the NHI Bill has been overwhelmingly rejected by the healthcare sector, business and the opposition.
DA MP Cathy Labuschagne said the NHI would be the final nail in South Africa’s economy and completely collapse an already underfunded and decimated public health sector.
“Despite passing this bill, South Africans still do not even know how it will be funded, the only conceivable way would be to increase taxes on an already overtaxed population,” Labuschagne said.
She also said almost all public health facilities were understocked and underfunded with many not having the necessary equipment to complete lifesaving operations.
Cape Times