Doctors paid for overtime – dept

Doctors in Gauteng public hospitals are being paid for overtime worked, the provincial health department has said, in response to claims that some had not been paid since September.

“I do not understand where the claims that they are not getting paid emanate from … the public service regulations are clear on payment of overtime to health workers,” spokesperson Simon Zwane said.

Democratic Alliance health spokesperson Jack Bloom said today that doctors at Chris Hani Baragwanath in Soweto and at Pholosong, OR Tambo Memorial, and the Far East hospitals in Ekurhuleni, had not been paid.

Doctors at Baragwanath had not received payments for January this year, while those at the Ekurhuleni hospitals had not been paid since September last year.

“They have decided to stop working overtime because of non-payment. This will have a negative impact on services at hospitals and we cannot afford to see that happening,” Bloom said.

Zwane said regulations stipulated the claim for overtime should not exceed 30% of the salary.

If the 30% threshold was exceeded, the doctor had to motivate to the department why it was exceeded and provide evidence.

“Motivation for such payments have not been received from some hospitals … that is how it is supposed to be done, otherwise we would have everyone claiming for overtime.”

Hospital managers were aware of the rules and how they should be applied, he said.

- Sapa