Ghost staff save Gauteng Health R2.3m

478 01-08-2013 Gauteng MEC for finance Mandla Nkomfe, Gauteng Premier Nonvula Mokonyane and Gauteng general director Margaret Diedericks address members of the media about the provinces eight clean audits and twenty-tree unqualified audits for the 2012/2013 at the premiers offices, Johannesburg. Picture: Tiro Ramatlhatse

478 01-08-2013 Gauteng MEC for finance Mandla Nkomfe, Gauteng Premier Nonvula Mokonyane and Gauteng general director Margaret Diedericks address members of the media about the provinces eight clean audits and twenty-tree unqualified audits for the 2012/2013 at the premiers offices, Johannesburg. Picture: Tiro Ramatlhatse

Published Aug 2, 2013

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Johannesburg - The Gauteng Health Department has saved R2.3 million in June salary payments after 120 employees in three academic hospitals failed to turn up for a verification exercise.

The savings came about after Health MEC Hope Papo introduced a biometric verification system in March this year to weed out “ghost employees”.

Premier Nomvula Mokonyane told journalists on Thursday that the initial focus was on academic hospitals in the province, but the biometric verification system would soon be rolled out to secondary and primary healthcare institutions in the province.

Gauteng Treasury head of department Nomfundo Tshabalala said a total of 120 “employees” had failed to show up for verification of their employee status.

The Health Department had enlisted senior officials in the Home Affairs Department to ensure the details supplied were correct.

Of the total of employees who had not rocked up, 85 Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital employees failed to show up even after a 10-day grace period following their payday.

Most government employees in Gauteng get their pay on the 15th of every month.

Tshabalala said the Health Department had saved R1.3m from Baragwanath alone as a result.

The second highest offenders – 22 ghost workers – were at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, resulting in savings of R648 141.76.

Thirteen ghost workers were found at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, saving the government R328 646.84.

“It took bold leadership and home-grown solutions to bring the Department of Health to this improved state of affairs,” Mokonyane said.

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