Rustenburg - The North West province has succeeded in employing 630 healthcare professionals in vacant posts between April and August this year.
They include 84 nursing assistants, 30 staff nurses, 19 medical officers, 42 medical specialists, 30 emergency care workers, 23 professional nurses, 39 emergency care assistants, 102 student nurses, as well as dieticians and pharmacists.
According to the spokesman for the provincial Department of Health and Social Development, Tebogo Lekgethwane, this has improved much-needed access to quality healthcare in the province's public hospitals and clinics.
"Some of the student nurses were placed in rural clinics, for example, but all these health professionals are contributing extensively to the provision of appropriate quality health services in clinics, hospitals and health programmes."
He added that the extra staff would help to reduce long queues at clinics and hospitals.
"It will also play a major role in decreasing the pressure caused by high numbers of healthcare professionals that resign from state facilities," Lekgethwane added.
The call to fill vacant posts urgently was made by health MEC Rebecca Kasienyane during a provincial health consultative forum held in March.
