By OBAKENG MAJE
The North West MEC for Health, Madoda Sambatha said there is no crisis over the unemployment of nurses in the province. This comes after DENOSA alleged that there are 200 unemployed nurses in the province sitting at home, even though they have completed the recruitment processes through interviews.
DENOSA threatened to stage a sit-in at the North West Department of Health in solidarity, but postponed after consultative engagement with Sambatha. DENOSA provincial secretary, Mothusi Lebatle alleged that they have raised their frustrations with regards to the current situation.
Lebatle said they need commitment from the department on when those who went for interviews will be appointed.
“We need to know when the advert will be released for those who will be completing comserve between January to June 2024. The circular that was released by the previous administrator saying RPLs should undergo the interview process be withdrawn.
“We want for the RPLs to have straight translation as they are already on the system of the department as employees. The department has confirmed that, there is R100 million allocated for appointments of nurses’ post that is under concurrence review between the Departments of Health and Treasury,” he said.
Lebatle further said Sambatha requested to be given at least a week to engage with the departmental administration, so that they can finalise the administration issue and revert back to them with a positive answer. He added that Sambatha also agreed that the administration will deal with the advert for the post from January to June 2024.
“He agreed that RPLs should not be included in the interviews. However, the process of competence assessment will unfold between the employer and RPLs. It is with the above engagements that we decided to give the department a week of their internal engagements and revert back to us by or before 26 April 2024.
“With that, we are postponing and not cancelling the sit-in that was to take place on 22 April 2024, until the engagements with the department unfolds this week,” said Lebatle.
However, Sambatha refuted DENOSA allegations and said: “The department has had R150 million allocated for employment. However, that was revised because of new restrictions on appointments. Now, we have R100 million to appoint everybody this financial year as department.
“Therefore, the management has been given a responsibility by myself to prioritise critical positions that are vacant and appointed. DENOSA alleged that there were 200 unemployed nurses, but when I met with them, I told them that it is impossible.”
Sambatha said DENOSA agreed with him because the nurses they are referring to are only 146. He said also, it is not 146 that are unemployed because most of the applicants are the departmental employees.
“The selection process should be allowed to take its course and the fact of the matter is that, out of 146 individuals, 57 are not employed. The rest are the departmental employees.
“The department has a program to empower its employees. So, employees who are working as general workers, including everybody who qualifies to do nursing, are taken in through the RPL program. When they complete the nursing course, they go back to their original positions,” said Sambatha.
He said the difference is that these employees should be translated to upper positions that are dealing with nursing. Sambatha said those who are unemployed, are the ones who came from communities through the normal recruitment process.
“The department long said that with vacancies it has, it can employ all 146 applicants. When you go and check medical doctors, it is 77 doctors who have given us indication that they have completed their community services and internship, now they are ready to be employed.
“As we speak, 43 out of 77, have already been appointed. We are working with SAMATU to ensure that others are employed. Unlike in other provinces, there is no pressure in the North West. Shortlisting processes have taken place and normally the appointment should be done within three months,” he said.
However, Sambatha said in this instance, they should consult the Office of the Premier and the Provincial Treasury.
The Guardian 