HR Indaba calls for action

30 March 2008

MEC Brian Hlongwa urged all stakeholders in the health sector to develop effective action, aimed to curb the escalating shortage of health professionals in the public service.

He was speaking at the three days Human Resources Indaba for Health, which started from 11 until 13 March 2008 at Birchwood Hotel, East Rand .  The HR Indaba forms part of the Department's five-year strategic programme of action which began in 2004 and ends next year. The Department convened the Indaba for stakeholders in the health sector to develop a Human Resources Planning Framework and Task Team to redress the shortage of skills in the sector and to strengthen partnerships.

The chronic shortage of health professionals is a global challenge which affects developing countries mainly due to the migration of skilled health professionals as well as the increasing burden of disease.

"There are volumes of strategies gathering dust on our bookshelves, therefore out of this gathering we want action," emphasized MEC. "We need workable solutions attached to deadlines and deliverables. Your function is to tell me where this province should be in six or 12 months time with regards to human resources," said MEC Hlongwa.

The MEC asked delegates to commit their resources, knowledge and expertise to help the Department design practical and achievable terms on how to better resolve the crisis facing Human Resource in health."Let us think broadly and outside conventional thinking. Who knows that wayward ideas or outrageous proposal you make might spark off other new thought processes and innovative solutions to vexed problems?," asked MEC Hlongwa.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there is a global deficit of 4.3 million doctors, nurses, midwives and other health support workers. In Africa about a million more workers are needed to service the population if the continent is to achieve the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

The WHO also reports that Sub-Saharan Africa, which has 11 percent of the World's population and 24 percent of the global burden of disease, has only three percent of the world's health workers.

"There is a need for a constructive debate about recruitment of medical professionals from other countries where there might be a surplus of supply in these skills. In this regard we will value the contribution of all stakeholders who might have knowledge about countries and markets that are compatible to ours," he said.

More than 3000 stakeholders attended the Indaba, including representatives from other government d epartments, private sector, nursing colleges, medical universities, hospitals, professional bodies, organised labour and international organizations.