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The Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, demanding clarity on how his Department spent the R1.778 billion that was meant to create 1 750 new healthcare positions.

Minister Motsoaledi must explain exactly how many doctors, nurses, and specialists were employed with this money, broken down by province, and why, despite this massive allocation, public hospitals remain dangerously understaffed.

Instead of more doctors and nurses, the Department of Health has actually reduced its headcount by 12.1% in recent years. This is at a time when there are more than 27 000 vacancies nationwide, including over 2 000 doctors and nearly 17 000 nurses.

Thousands of trained South African medical professionals are desperate to serve their country, but cannot get posts in the public sector. Many are being lured abroad by better salaries and working conditions, while our hospitals collapse under staff shortages.

The crisis is evident at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban, the province’s only facility offering certain specialist services. The hospital is operating 40% below surgical capacity due to frozen posts, severe ICU staff shortages, and critical shortages of surgical consumables and equipment.

Daily surgery schedules have reportedly been cut by 60%, while children in need of ICU care are sometimes admitted too late for effective treatment because there are simply not enough nurses.

The hospital’s cardiac unit, the only one in KwaZulu-Natal, now has just one cardiologist seeing up to 60 patients a day. Cardiac surgeries have dropped from 600 per year to 300. Eight anaesthetic consultants resigned in the past year due to burnout, leaving only 11 to cover 19 theatres. Junior doctors are blocked from gaining experience because senior registrars are prioritised, while new consultant and registrar posts remain unfilled.

South Africa cannot afford this collapse of public health. Minister Motsoaledi must give urgent and honest answers about where the R1.778 billion went, and why it has not translated into more doctors and nurses saving lives.

Issued by Michéle Clarke MP - DA Spokesperson on Health