Gauteng to boost health services
20 July 2005
The Gauteng Department of Health is to improve its staff recruitment and retention strategy to ensure health professionals remain in the province's public service.
The decision was taken by Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa and senior department managers at a two-day meeting which ended on Tuesday.
The meeting was to review the department's progress against targets in the first quarter (April to June) of the current financial year.
Ramokgopa noted the continued staff turnover of health professionals, particularly nurses, in the department.
"While 498 new health professionals were employed since April this year, the net gain was only 82 staff members," she said. "Among the new staff were 231 medical doctors and 177 professional nurses."
The department will therefore focus on retaining its staff, especially young graduates currently doing community service. To do this, it will develop a staff charter of employer commitment and improve
supervision and equipment to allow staff to perform their duties better - particularly night-shift facilities.
This is in addition to the new nurses' uniform allowance of R1 200 a year, which came into effect in April.
The department will also begin a massive employment drive to increase the number of new healthcare professionals, using specialist recruitment companies.
The aim is to have a 20% annual increase in the number of nurses being trained over the next three to five years, using internships, learnerships, bursaries and partnerships with the private sector.
"By the end of March 2006, all our staff will be included in our Employee Assistance Programme," said Ramokgopa.
Successes
The department also announced that the immunisation coverage of children has risen to 85%. Progress continues in its comprehensive HIV/Aids treatment and care programme.
The tuberculosis cure rate for the province has increased, as
has the acquisition of medical equipment at healthcare institutions.
The department has trained 1 120 doctors and nurses to dispense drugs in hospitals and clinics, in line with the new Pharmacy Act, and is currently training 163 pharmacy assistants.
Source: BuaNews
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