NATIONAL NEWS - The North West health department was put under national administration in April following a month-long strike and allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
The Gauteng health department has struggled for two years to pay performance bonuses to medical staff, which led to the shutdown of Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital last week.
The strike was led by members of various unions, including the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) and the Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa).
Sama was responding to news that all the provincial departments would foot the bill for the damages awarded in March to families in the Life Esidimeni tragedy.
“It is very worrying,” said Sama chairperson Dr Mzukisi Grootboom. “And we hope that the health department will not end up paying the bulk of this, because already we are being told that there are no funds to employ new doctors, and we have been seeing in the media all of the instances where doctors were struggling to find employment after their internships.
