Pretoria – The acting head of the Gauteng Health Department, Ndoda Biyela, has assured medical practitioners that the department has not “cut overtime pay” or gone on a witch-hunt against certain doctors in its management of overtime.
Addressing a meeting of clinical heads and senior management from Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital on Wednesday, Biyela reaffirmed the department's position on efficient management of overtime and compliance with the Public Service Act in granting permission for Remunerative Work Outside of the Public Service (RWOPS).
"Every employee in the public service is required to work a minimum of 40 hours per week. In order to ensure full coverage of all service delivery areas, medical practitioners choose one of five overtime options, which is then paid with their salaries," Biyela explained.
Overtime, commuted overtime, options are: A - doctor does not do overtime; B - doctor does between four and eight hours a week; C - doctor does between nine and 12 hours a week; D - between 13 and 20 hours per week; E - where there is a need, a doctor may get approval to do more than 20 hours a week.
"Because overtime pay is with the salary and evidence of abuse has been found, all we have asked CEOs and Clinical Managers to do is engage clinicians in ensuring that the letter and spirit of the Overtime Policy is adhered to," Biyela said.
He noted that there had only been two resignations of anaesthetists and one plastic surgeon, who opted to work on a sessional basis. The hospital has a staff complement of 26 anaesthetists in its employ.
Many specialists at Charlotte Maxeke have chosen to work between 53 and 60 hours per week, i.e. a minimum of 40 hours and option D commuted overtime.
Biyela said for the department to get value for monies paid to these healthcare workers and to ensure service delivery was not compromised, clinical managers were implementing weekly and monthly rosters.
They would also ensure strict attendance register compliance, do spot checks to ensure that all healthcare workers were where they were supposed to be at all required times, and follow up on unexplained absences from overtime duty.
"With regards to RWOPS, we are just following the Public Service Act, which states that 'we must take into account whether or not the outside work could reasonably be expected to interfere with or impede the effective or efficient performance of the employee's functions in the department, or constitute a contravention of the code of conduct contemplated in section 41 (1) (b) (v)'," said Biyela.
He emphasised that the department required all healthcare workers to work the time they were paid for - a minimum of 40 hours, plus the appropriate overtime hours they have chosen.
"Having been satisfied that all employees have given us the number of hours government pays them for, we may consider, in terms of the Act, granting permission for RWOPS.
“Overtime and RWOPS are not conditions of service or an entitlement. These are instruments to compensate for work done over and above the normal eight hours, plus commuted overtime hours of work.
“We will continue to engage all affected parties through the clinical managers but would not back down in demanding that healthcare workers are at their workstations for the full hours they are paid," said Biyela. – SAnews.gov.za
