NATIONAL HEALTH MUST NOT CHOOSE GAUTENG HOSPITAL HEADS

The Gauteng Health Department should not have allowed the National Health Department this past weekend to advertise for new heads of twelve Gauteng hospitals.

This is unconstitutional as these hospitals are a provincial competence.

The posts advertised include all four academic hospitals (Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg, Chris Hani Baragwanath, Steve Biko and George Mukhari), and Kalafong, Tembisa, Helen Joseph, Mamelodi, Natalspruit, Rahima Moosa and Pholosing hospitals.

The CEO post for Jabulani hospital in Soweto is also advertised, although this is still being built and is unlikely to open this year.

I agree that many of the CEOs of these hospitals should be replaced with more competent people, but this should be done provincially not nationally.

Unlike the other eight provinces, the Western Cape Health Department is keeping control of CEO selection.

I foresee contractual disputes as some Gauteng hospital CEOs have fixed-term contracts and can only be removed on performance grounds.

It is shameful that the provincial health department surrenders its powers to national health in this matter.

Statement issued by Jack Bloom MPL, DA Gauteng Health Spokesman, February 27 2012

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