Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana said they were in discussion with the Department of Health on the unemployed doctors. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Newspapers
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana says they were waiting for the Department of Health to give them more information on the doctors who needed to be absorbed by the State.
This follows protests by doctor who have not been able to find a job within government.
It was reported that there were 800 doctors that were unemployed. But Godongwana said there were different numbers that have been given to them.
This follows questions in the Parliamentary committees on Friday where Godongwana and senior officials from National Treasury were appearing to give more details on the Budget.
Godongwana presented his Budget in the National Assembly on Wednesday, but members of Parliament said he was not clear on the funding of the 800 doctors.
Chairperson of the National Assembly’s standing committee on appropriations, Sifiso Buthelezi said the State had invested a lot of money training hundreds of doctors. It would be an injustice if they were not employed by the same government.
He said Godongwana must absorb them into the system to contribute in the improvement of healthcare in the country.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) member Moletsane Simon Moletsane said the country needs the 800 doctors.
He said it would be unfair to have 800 doctors sitting at home when there was a shortage of doctors in hospitals.
The issue needed to be given attention and urgently resolved by Godongwana and Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla.
Phaahla announced a few weeks ago that they will employ the 800 doctors by April 1.
However, Godongwana said they were still trying to establish the exact number of unemployed doctors because there were conflicting figures.
He said the Department of Health was going to inform National Treasury once that has been sorted out.
“Let me come to the issue of the doctors, there is a dispute about the number. The number that has been circulating on social media is 800. You, chairperson, you are saying it’s 350 and health department has got a different number.
“However, in the allocation we have given to health for personnel, Dr Phaahla was convinced that that will also alleviate that problem. We will await the health department to come back to us on that issue. But that is where things stand at the moment,” said Godongwana.
On the National Health Insurance (NHI), he said President Cyril Ramaphosa has not yet signed the Bill into law.
He said once the Bill is signed into law, a range of legislative arrangements will kick in. This will include the funding model of the NHI.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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