Approximately 70 newly-recruited Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Soweto have not been paid for more than two months.
“I discovered this on Wednesday when I visited the Chiawelo Community Health Centre where the CHWs are based,” said Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng Health Shadow Jack Bloom.
He said, “They do valuable work that includes providing home-based care, delivering medicines to house-bound patients, and going door-to-door to assess the health status of households.
“The Gauteng Health Department recruited them in mid-August and promised to pay them R3500 a month.”
“But they have not received any payment at all despite continuing to do their duties.
This is extremely unfair and shows that administrative problems continue in this department despite claims of a ‘turn-around’.
“I will pressure the department to pay these workers as soon as possible,” Bloom said.