Note to editors: Please find attached English soundbite by Madeleine Hicklin MPL.
The Gauteng Department of Health (GDOH) is facing a severe staffing crisis including vacancies in key leaderships positions. These shortages place increased pressure on existing staff contributing to a decline in morale and compromising the quality of patient care across the province.
The DA calls on MEC Faith Mazibuko to urgently address the staffing crisis within the GDOH, fill critical vacancies with appropriately qualified personnel, and ensure that healthcare facilities have the leadership, staff and equipment needed to provide safe, quality, and timely patient care.
The DA has uncovered that numerous senior management positions within the GDOH and across numerous hospital facilities are occupied by officials serving in acting capacities, some for years at a time. Within the GDOH itself, the Head of Department (HOD), Dr Darion Barclay, is serving in an acting capacity, while the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Mr Willie Sambo, and Chief Operating Officer (COO), Dr Mikulu Selepe, are also serving in acting capacities.
This is confirmed by a recent written reply from MEC Faith Mazibuko, which indicates that Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital alone currently has 207 funded vacant posts. These vacancies range from administrative officers and laundry workers to medical specialists, heads of clinical units, radiographers, psychologists, and professional nurses, among other critical positions. These shortages, coupled with rising patient numbers and inadequate clinical, administrative and support staff, are driving longer waiting times, placing healthcare workers under immense pressure, and delaying patient care.
See reply here.
The DA has repeatedly raised concerns about the moratorium on staff placement across health facilities in the province. While the Department of Health has maintained that no hiring moratorium is in place, this claim is contradicted by the MEC’s reply which states that a request was submitted to Head Office to unfreeze administrative and support posts. This suggests that an administrative restriction is preventing Charlotte Maxeke Hospital from filling certain funded vacancies. If there is no moratorium, MEC Mazibuko must explain why health facilities continue to experience severe staffing shortages and why critical posts remain unfilled, ultimately resulting in patient waiting times, delayed surgeries, and unmet targets for the provision of safe, quality healthcare.
The suspension of medical equipment procurement further compounds the crisis. The DA recently exposed delays in acquiring a compressor needed to support retinal detachment surgery at Steve Biko Academic Hospital. At Far East Rand Hospital, the LINAC (linear accelerator) equipment used for oncology treatment is also fast approaching the end of its serviceable life.
These administrative lapses have real consequences for patients waiting for life-changing and potentially life-saving treatment.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would prioritise the recruitment of qualified healthcare professionals and support staff to ensure safe, quality patient care and reduce staff burnout. We would strengthen governance and leadership across the Gauteng Department of Health and all healthcare facilities, with clear accountability for service delivery and compliance with Occupational Health and Safety standards. We would also ensure that every hospital is adequately equipped to provide safe, compassionate, and accessible care to patients.