Cape Town’s health sector is in crisis due to a freeze on hiring essential medical personnel, leading to staffing challenges and difficulties in filling shift rosters. This is impacting patient care and waiting times in leading hospitals, which are struggling with vacancies across all departments. Financial distress compounds these staffing woes, with budget cuts leading to fears of a permanent reduction in medical posts and potential cataclysmic effects on the provinces. There are growing concerns about the uncertainty surrounding the duration of the hiring freezes and the possibility of a permanent reduction in medical posts. A sustainable solution is urgently needed to prevent further degradation of an already weakened health system.
