The KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, has further unfrozen clinical posts in seven institutions and a component of head office.
This follows last week’s announcement by the MEC, on 20 January 2010, for 26 institutions to commence with recruitment and filling of clinical posts. The hospitals that have been granted permission to recruit and fill this time include:
Christ the King
Dunstan Farrell
Hlengisizwe CHC
Mahatma Gandhi Memorial
Murchison
Tongaat CHC
Umzinto Clinic (under GJ Crookes) and
Health Technology Services
Other requests for unfreezing are still being considered through the relevant senior management and will be submitted to the MEC once recommended by the head of department.
“In the face of rising attention to the acute shortage of health care workers, solutions to the human resource crisis are difficult to achieve, especially in a resource scarce country like ours. While we are aware of the issues and are developing human resource strategies, the problem is that we are working in a fast changing context.
"The complex conditions under which we work to address the human resource crisis demand a new style of leadership that encourages innovation and teamwork. We can no longer look at human resource issues in isolation from: personnel systems (including staffing norms), work environment and conditions, human resource information system integration of data sources to ensure timely availability of accurate data required for planning, training, appraising and supporting the workforce and Performance management (performance appraisal, supervision and productivity),” says the MEC for Health, Dr SM Dhlomo.
The government plans to overhaul the health care system include ensuring that at all levels there are committed leaders and qualified human resource managers to translate strategies and frameworks for financing options, and fast tracking of education and human resource reform into solutions on the ground. In this case a more appropriate mode of leadership, linked to reforming management systems and committed to moving beyond planning to implementation, is essential to the solution.
Issued by: Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
28 January 2010
Source: Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government (http://www.kznhealth.gov.za/)
