Favourable working conditions

Government's efforts to create favourable working conditions in the health sector welcomed

Stakeholders in the health sector have welcomed government's efforts to create favourable working conditions in the sector.
Yesterday, Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi told an imbizo at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital that government had noted concerns raised about the hospital and the health sector in general.

Among the concerns captured by the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital Project which is working on a research regarding transformation, is staff shortage and the opening of closed nursing colleges.

"We have noted that hospitals are one of the sectors with high stress levels, due to pressures caused by staff shortages," said the Minister.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the dire shortage of health workers in sub-Saharan Africa is among the most significant constraints in achieving health-related Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) which seek to reduce child mortality, improve maternal health and combat HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

However, Ms Fraser-Moleketi said processes had begun to open closed colleges to improve training.

Last month, government announced a strategy to ensure that the public health sector had essential human capital to deliver quality care.

The National Human Resource Plan for Health is one of the moves to deal with the critical shortage and migration of health workers from the country.

Figures by Statistics South Africa show that the country has only 7 784 medical doctors, 42 373 professional nurses and 1 561 pharmacists serving a population of more than 44 million.

This problem however is not affecting South Africa alone. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the global population is growing but the number of health workers is stagnant or even falling in many places where most needed.

Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang has said that the Human Resource plan would provide health managers with an overall framework for recruiting and developing appropriate retention strategies in their provinces.

At national level, the plan would address issues such as production of health professionals and monitoring of the trends.

The plan also sets targets for the training of health personnel to meet the rising demand in the country.

In this regard, Ms Fraser-Moleketi suggested the development of a database of retired health workers willing to serve as mentors.

She also assured the hospital's employees that government was also committed to enhancing their remuneration.

However, the Minister stressed that to improve individual capacity and organisational output; it would also require competence a"It is equally important to be optimistic and we will continue to labour with the assistance of other departments," the Minister said.

National Education, Health Allied Workers Union's (Nehawu) regional chairperson Clement Marule welcomed the minister's remarks.

"The minister has raised and committed to things we have been calling for. We welcome and applaud particularly the commitment to re-open nursing colleges," he said.