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Health Department admits vacancy rates are unmanageable


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Health Department admits vacancy rates are unmanageable

Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi
Photo by Govt
Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi

20th June 2025

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In answer to a parliamentary question from the DA, the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, revealed that the vacancy rates as of April 2025 for doctors, nurses, and radiographers were 9.42%, 14.22%, and 15.7%, respectively.

Furthermore, yesterday, the Department of Health admitted in a meeting with Parliament’s Standing Committee on Appropriations (SCOA) that the vacancy rates are unmanageable. In March, the Minister confirmed 27 523 vacancies across all nine provinces, of which 2 147 were doctors and 16 870 were nurses.

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It is worrying, though, that the Minister’s various answers to iterations of the question does not align. In the most recent PQ the Minister stated that 6 985 posts for medical officers had been filled between April 2024 and March 2025, but in an answer less than 2 weeks earlier, he stated that 3 862 medical officers had been employed in the same period. Given the Department’s struggle to fill posts, it is doubtful that 3 123 medical officers would have been appointed in that time.

While the DA understands that vacancies and vacancy rates is a bit of a moving target due to hirings and attritions, the fact remains that the public health system cannot function adequately with such staff shortages – the Department has admitted as much.

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The DA will submit follow-up questions to determine the current vacancy rate for all clinical and non-clinical staff.

We will also keep a close eye on whether the additional R6.7 billion promised to the Department will indeed be spent on its four identified priorities, including filling of vacancies.

 

Issued by Michele Clarke MP - DA Spokesperson on Health

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