Cape Town - The Western Cape health department has made good on its pledge from last month to recruit more staff to boost capacity.
Newspaper adverts on Monday announced over 30 positions for health professionals across the province.
The vacancies advertised ranged from various specialists and family physicians to nurses, clinical technicians and forensic pathologists and are part of the department’s bid to beef up its staffing capacity.
The department said in a statement: “We have gone on an active recruitment drive to ensure we are not short-staffed and continue to render quality care for those in need.
“The additional hands on deck means we will be able to activate several repurposed new beds we intend to bring online over the next few weeks and months.”
The private sector has also taken steps to address the increased demand for care during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mediclinic Southern Africa chief clinical officer Dr Gerrit de Villiers said: “In addition to upskilling staff from different areas of the hospital to manage patients within the ICU or high care units, we recruited staff on short-term contracts where needed.”
De Villiers said: “We are not currently actively recruiting a large number of nursing staff, but will be recruiting where staff members may have left the facility or where hospital capacity has been expanded. This is an ongoing process, as particular hospitals require assistance.”
Chief executive of Netcare Dr Richard Friedland said: “The disease burden from before the pandemic has not disappeared.
“Although the number of Covid-19 admissions or positive test results appear to be plateauing, or showing early hopeful signs of slowing down in some areas, it is important to understand that we are far from being out of the woods yet.”
Cape Argus