Phase one of department’s recruitment process helps to employ 774

LIMPOPO – The Limpopo Department of Health have filled various vacancies they struggled to fill in previous years after they issued appointment letters to 774 successful candidates.

The department said in a statement that the recently concluded recruitment process is one of the biggest the department has undergone. These posts for support staff were advertised in August and the department was able to fill them despite their current strenuous financial situation.

Filled vacancies:

-303 Ward attendants who will assist with improving cleanliness in their facilities.
-105 Operational managers for primary health care facilities to help bolster management and the effective running of these facilities.
-85 Administrative clerks (patient admin) who will ensure patients do not wait for too long at the out patient department (OPD).
– 16 Nursing Managers as well as 13 Senior Clinical Managers to strengthen leadership and clinical governance at hospital level.

Besides these positions, medical specialists and registrars positions were also filled in the same time frame.

The department’s Spokesperson, Neil Shikwambana said that as part of rationalising, the department is committed to improve service delivery and look forward to phase two of this process. Phase two of the process allows unemployed post community health care professionals to compete for vacant positions which will be advertised.

“We have noted with great concern that these gains are reversed by people who mobilise to reject these candidates at facilities. This will have an impact on service delivery because the department will not replace those candidates who are barred from entering their new stations of employment. We want to reiterate that the constitution of this country frees anybody to apply, compete for employment and work anywhere in the country for as long as they meet the requirements irrespective of their language or proximity to the workplace. The rejection of successful candidates in facilities on the basis of language and where they come from, is tantamount to a nostalgic move back to Apartheid’s notorious Group Areas Act and cannot be affirmed in the current dispensation,” the statement read.

The department called on organised labour to improve the conditions and services under the current financial difficulties wherein government wants to freeze public servants remuneration.

“The department remains committed to paying performance bonuses through the ring fenced funds. Any savings which will be made through the implementation of the department’s turnaround strategy will be channelled to job creation through the employment of support staff and the unemployed post community health care professionals,” the statement concluded.