New CEOs for public hospitals

Image: GCIS

A review of hospital managers published by the Department of Health in 2011 found that some chief executives were political appointees, with neither healthcare nor managerial qualifications. Some provincial health departments had appointed former teachers to run complex bodies with multi-million Rand budgets.

According to the review, 2% of hospital chief executives had matric as their highest qualification.

Motsoaledi introduced regulations stipulating the minimum qualifications and experience required of hospital managers.

Last year 92 posts were advertised by the national health department and 30 by the provincial departments. A key requirement was for candidates to be healthcare professionals.

Motsoaledi said last week that 102 new chief executives had been appointed with effect from 1 February and would begin with training at the department's new Academy of Health and Leadership.

Recruitment had taken longer than expected because the government was looking for the "very best quality", he said.

"In some instances we would interview for hours on end but end up not appointing anybody because nobody was found to be appropriate," he said. The head-hunting process is continuing.

Eastern Cape health department spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said existing managers had been transferred elsewhere in the department.

"No more will we have teachers or such people running hospitals. We must have people who know what happens on an operating table in theatre," he said.

Western Cape hospitals were exempted from the process, after health MEC Theuns Botha and Dr Motsoaledi met last year.

Source: Business Day via I-Net Bridge