Over 1 000 Gauteng healthcare workers unpaid since April
More than 1,000 doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers in Gauteng hospitals have not been paid since April.
These were healthcare workers who were roped in by the provincial Department of Health to assist hospitals during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
Workers who spoke anonymously to the publication recounted the difficulties of having to work while having missed a paycheck.
In March, the Gauteng government announced that it set aside R600 million to retain many of the additional staff it brought onboard during the pandemic.
Their contracts expired at the end of that month.
However, workers were left in limbo again after not receiving their salaries for April, and they are likely to not receive what is due to them for May too.
A medical doctor in one of the country’s busiest public hospitals said many healthcare workers were at their wits’ end.
“We have families to feed. We need to go back to work and come back, it is fuel. We haven’t received salary – it’s sad. We are frustrated [and yet] we are expected to do our work.”
In a response to the publication, the Gauteng Department of Health said administrative issues caused the delays in the payment.
It said the issue would be resolved in two weeks.
GAUTENG HEALTH DEPARTMENT APOLOGISES TO UNPAID WORKERS
Health department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said three departments; health, e-government and Treasury were responsible for the appointment process.
“The facilities had to then follow a particular recruitment and selection process to make sure that they appoint these doctors and nurses. And we had to ensure that we accommodate junior doctors who are bursary holders and were not in the system,” he said.
However, some of the former COVID-19 staff were in fact paid.
Healthcare workers who spoke to the publication are of the view that this was down to negligence from some hospital staff.
Modiba said their salaries, along with back pay, will be processed within two weeks.
“We do apologize for the inconvenience. This is a matter that is being handled through the HR units across the different facilities. They continue to engage with affected employees just keep them updated on this development.”
-EWN
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