City Press reports that about 200 staff members have resigned from Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital citing better remuneration elsewhere and travelling costs.

According to Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi, the staff members began resigning in May last year after sections of the hospital were gutted by a fire in April. The provincial health department has since been unable to get the facility fully operational. The hospital departments which remain closed include casualty, the infectious diseases wards and the mental health wing. Mokgethi said that before the fire there had been a total of 4,982 staff members, but this has dropped to 4,812 due to the resignations of 91 nurses and 68 doctors. The reduction of staff has been due to resignation, retirement, death and expired contracts. Mokgethi indicated: “The staff resignations are related to better remuneration, promotions and travel costs between home and work.” She added that there was a shortage of professional nurses, critical care specialists and psychiatrically trained nurses. DA Shadow Health MEC Jack Bloom said he was not surprised by the resignations as staff morale was low. The hospital currently has 677 vacant posts made of 355 nurses, 88 medical personnel, 209 admin and support staff and 25 allied worker posts.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Yoliswa Sobuwa at City Press (subscriber access only)

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