The Gauteng Health Department should cut the rampant stealing instead of freezing all staff posts which will have a devastating effect on patients.
While the department denies there is a blanket freeze on new posts, hospital CEOs told doctors last week there would be no new hiring, and even posts that had been advertised would not be filled.
This is because of a R1.5 billion budget shortfall due to endemic poor management and corruption.
We have seen how billions of rand are wasted, as at Tembisa Hospital where the SIU found that R3 billion was misspent on over-priced goods from dodgy companies.
The DA is calling for an urgent overhaul of the department’s top management, including the removal of Mr Lesiba Malotana, the newly appointed Head of Department, who the SIU is investigating for allegedly sharing a R8 million bribe with two other officials.
The is the only way that the department’s R64 billion budget will properly spent to provide quality healthcare.