Simelane hopes Health budget will employ more doctors
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane says they are pushing for additional funding to open up more medical posts, beyond National Treasury’s current allocations.
Simelane tabled the Provincial Health Budget for the 2025/2026 financial year in the KZN Legislature in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday morning.
She says the department will focus on strengthening primary health care, advancing universal health coverage and combating the burden of disease, including HIV and TB.
The MEC says they are encouraged by National Treasury's announcement that the health budget will be increased by R2.8 billion over the next three years.
This will make room for the employment of 800 post community service doctors.
" We firmly hope that a significant portion of those appointments will be allocated to KwaZulu-Natal given our province's immense burden of disease and varse rural footprint.
READ: '20 jobs not enough’ say unemployed KZN doctors
"We have already advertised 20 posts for unemployed doctors, and we hope to recruit even more once the picture becomes clearer regarding the budget allocation for this from National Treasury."
Simelane says they aren't just waiting for Treasury to assist.
" We have been putting our heads together to find out and look at what is it that the provincial government can allocate to the Department of Health so that we are able to employ more than the 20 doctors and the doctors that we are going to be allocated by national.
"Once that allocation has been finalised by the provincial government, we will not just be employing doctors, we'll be employing nurses, we'll be employing all the allied services that are needed."
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