๐ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐.
๐ง๐ต๐๐ฟ๐๐ฑ๐ฎ๐, ๐ญ๐ฏ ๐๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑ.
‘Facility now operating with less than half the required workforce, with more employees resigning due to unbearable working conditionsโฆ’
JOHANNESBURG โ The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) in Gauteng raises serious concerns about the worsening conditions at Tembisa Hospital which is operating with less than half the required staff complement, which further reflects a broader healthcare crisis across the province.
DENOSA demands the Gauteng Department of Health to give the facilities the urgent attention as healthcare services are crumbling and staff are getting demoralized.
The hospital is severely understaffed, operating with less than half the required workforce for a tertiary institution. Out of the 4,926 staff members needed, only 2,375 positions are currently filled, with critical shortages including 36 professional nurses, 6 staff nurses, 14 medical officers, and 11 cleaners. The prolonged absence of a permanent CEOโnow exceeding two yearsโalong with vacant key management positions, has left healthcare workers without adequate leadership and support.
The working environment at Tembisa Hospital has become increasingly unworkable, with chronic understaffing, lack of essential resources, and weak management support placing extreme pressure on healthcare workers. The situation has resulted in high resignation rates, with 225 staff membersโincluding 147 nurses and 43 doctorsโleaving since the beginning of the year due to unbearable working conditions. This exodus of skilled professionals has further compromised patient care and increased burnout among remaining staff.
Beyond Tembisa, DENOSA Gauteng highlights the non-absorption of community service nurses and doctors, a province-wide issue that reflects poor workforce planning by the Gauteng Department of Health. Despite the urgent need for healthcare professionals, many newly qualified nurses and doctors remain unemployed after completing their community service, largely due to inadequate budget allocations and lack of permanent posts. This failure to integrate trained personnel into the workforce exacerbates staffing shortages and undermines efforts to improve healthcare services.
Another critical concern is the poor functionality of the Gauteng College of Nursing (GCON), which is responsible for the training and production of nurses in the province. Persistent challenges in nursing education, including inadequate funding, limited training opportunities, and inefficient management, have resulted in fewer nurses entering the workforce at a time when the healthcare system is already struggling. Addressing these inefficiencies is vital to ensuring a steady pipeline of qualified nursing professionals.
DENOSA Gauteng therefore demands urgent action from the Gauteng Department of Health:
1. Immediate recruitment to fill critical vacancies in hospitals across the province.
2. A clear strategy for the absorption of community service nurses and doctors into permanent positions.
3. Enhanced support for healthcare workers, including improved management
structures and working conditions.
4. Strengthening of the Gauteng College of Nursing (GCON) to ensure the production
of adequately trained nurses to meet provincial healthcare demands.
5. Greater accountability and oversight to address systemic failures and improve service delivery.
Failure to address these urgent issues will further weaken the provinceโs healthcare system, placing both workers and patients at severe risk. DENOSA Gauteng remains committed to advocating for a well-functioning healthcare system that prioritizes its workforce and delivers quality care to all communities.
End.
๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ด.
