Government to boost number of health workers

To overcome staff shortages facing public hospitals the health department has proposed doubling the annual supply of doctors and increasing the yearly supply of new nurses and pharmacists by 50 percent. Reports states that 27 percent of health-care posts in the public sector are vacant, due to low output by training institutions and the migration of health care workers. Health department deputy director general for human resources, Dr Percy Mahlati says increasing the production of health-care professionals is key to resolving the crippling staff shortages and the treasury has already made provision for an additional 30-thousand health-care workers.