Support staff absent at Bara Hospital

Doctors and nurses at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital have low absenteeism, but one in six administrative and support staff were absent last year.

This is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

The recorded absenteeism rates were as follows:
- Management - 0%
- Administration and support staff - 16.6%
- All professionals - 3.8%

A total of 1346 days were lost last year because of the absence of 480 of the hospital's 6289 employees.

Reasons for absence were as follows:
- General absence without prior arrangement - 23 employees (5%)
- Bad health - 115 employees (24%)
- Abscondment - 14 employees (3%)
- Various reasons - 328 employees (68%)

I am concerned by the vague category of "various reasons" which should be broken down so that measures can be taken to bring down the high level of absenteeism by certain workers.

Ramokgopa says that the outcome of absenteeism is that there is "not sufficient staff available to maintain appropriate and acceptable required service delivery standards."

Only 37 employees at the hospital were disciplined last year because of absenteeism, and identified trends include substance and alcohol abuse, habitual truancy and social problems.

I commend the zero absenteeism of hospital management and the dedication of medical professionals who take few days off.

But they are let down by the high absenteeism of support staff, which makes the work of doctors and nurses more stressful in treating the high number of patients.

Management and unions should work together to bring down excessive absenteeism at the hospital as it lowers the quality of care provided to patients.

Statement issued by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 7 November 2017