Health staff worry about ailing department

HOSPERSA, a union of more than 60 000 health-care workers in the public and private health sector, has raised concerns about the state of the Department of Health embroiled in a corruption scandal, an acting minister and the slow pace of the Covid-19 vaccination.

We are also questioning the appointment of the minister of tourism in the position of acting minister of health, citing that the position needs someone with a medical background.

We are calling on the president to review this appointment and for the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) to conclude its investigations as speedily as possible for law enforcement agencies to bring all implicated individuals to book. Due to mounting pressure over certain allegations, Minister Mkhize has taken special leave.

He leaves this void in the department while the country struggles to increase the pace of Covid-19 vaccinations. We have raised concerns that these challenges may hamper the fight against the pandemic.

We are also shocked by the appointment of the Minister of Tourism who has no medical background. The country’s health-care system is under a lot of pressure due to a slow vaccination process and the third wave.

Many provincial departments are battling to cope with the increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases with the Gauteng province having the added pressure caused by the temporary closure of Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital. It is our view that the department needs a minister with medical background now. Aside from the pandemic, there is also ongoing work around the National Health Insurance which could be delayed due to this appointment. We also question the

need for departments to have deputy ministers if they cannot take over the reins in the minister’s absence.

Since the Constitution does not allow for deputy ministers to act in the position of ministers, maybe the country should have an honest conversation around the need of having deputy ministers. Our government pleads poverty and continues to announce a three-year increase freeze for public servants, including health workers, yet wastes millions of rand on salaries for these deputies.

We call on the president to review the decision and appoint someone that has the relevant medical expertise to restore confidence in the department.

We also call on the SIU to conclude their investigations and for implicated individuals, high profile or not, to face the full might of the law.

Hospersa