TOO MANY STAFF AT GAUTENG HEALTH OFFICE

Staff at the Gauteng Health Department's head office have ballooned from 1100 in 2008 to 1796 in 2011. This is a more than 60% increase in three years.

This huge increase is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Ntombi Mekgwe in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng legislature.

The number of deputy directors at this office has soared from 118 in 2007 to 180 last year. A deputy director earns about R500 000 a year, so the increase in their numbers costs more than R30 million a year.

According to Mekgwe "the increase in staff is attributable to service delivery imperatives".

If this is so, then why has the health service actually worsened during this time?

The department is top heavy with unproductive people, many of whom have been transferred there after failing to performing in a hospital job.

Non-performers should be fired, rather than moved to head office.

The head office needs to be slimmed down so that as many people as possible are at hospitals and clinics to improve health care in the province.

Statement issued by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Health Spokesman, June 25 2012

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter