1. (a)(i) and (ii) A total of 315 doctors are contracted by SASSA. Regional distribution is provided on table 1 below. Due to the limited supply of doctors, SASSA contracts all the doctors who respond to the call for services and meet the requirements of the bid specifications.
TABLE 1: MEDICAL ASSESSMENT DOCTORS PER REGION
Region |
Number of Doctors |
Assessments |
Number of Doctors |
Projected Assessments |
Number of Doctors |
Projected Assessments |
Eastern Cape |
30 |
47,677 |
30 |
47,369 |
30 |
47,369 |
Free State |
32 |
48,481 |
32 |
48,168 |
32 |
48,168 |
Gauteng |
49 |
76,633 |
49 |
76,138 |
49 |
76,138 |
KwaZulu-Natal |
74 |
135,325 |
74 |
134,450 |
74 |
134,450 |
Limpopo |
49 |
57,257 |
49 |
56,887 |
49 |
56,887 |
Mpumalanga |
25 |
44,747 |
25 |
44,458 |
25 |
44,458 |
Northern Cape |
26 |
59,401 |
26 |
59,017 |
26 |
59,017 |
North West |
19 |
39,877 |
19 |
39,619 |
19 |
39,619 |
Western Cape |
11 |
104,570 |
18 |
103,894 |
22 |
103,894 |
TOTAL |
315 |
613,968 |
322 |
610,000 |
326 |
610,000 |
In the Western Cape, assessments are also done by the Department of Health through Service Level Agreements held with the District Health Systems.
The increase in the number of directly contracted assessing doctors is specifically to deal with sporadic backlog development in the Eden/Karoo areas of the Western Cape.
1 (b) There are no vacancies as SASSA does not employ doctors within their staff establishment but contracts them for a period of 3 years as service providers to conduct assessments.
2. All doctors have been paid to date for claims submitted. Table below provides details per region:
TABLE 2: PAYMENT PROFILE OF DOCTORS PER REGION
Payment Profile of Doctors Per Region Whose Invoices have not been Paid |
||||
Region |
Number of Doctors |
Total Number of Doctor not Paid |
Total Amount Owed to Doctors |
Actions to ensure that Doctors Owed are paid |
Eastern Cape |
30 |
0 |
0 |
None |
Free State |
32 |
0 |
0 |
None |
Gauteng |
49 |
0 |
0 |
R 601,854.96 worth of services rendered but not yet invoiced by the medical practitioner. |
KwaZulu-Natal |
74 |
0 |
0 |
None |
Limpopo |
49 |
0 |
0 |
None |
Mpumalanga |
25 |
0 |
R401,293 worth of services rendered but not yet invoiced by the medical practitioner. |
|
Northern Cape |
26 |
0 |
0 |
None |
North West |
19 |
0 |
0 |
None |
Western Cape |
11 |
0 |
0 |
R183 489,30 worth of services rendered but not yet invoiced by the medical practitioner. |
TOTAL |
315 |
3. Doctors are contracted and remunerated per assessment and not per hour. The total cost of assessments as at 31 March 2023 per region is detailed below:
Region |
Expenditure as at 31 March 2023 |
Eastern Cape |
9,742,460.08 |
Free State |
9,337,308.93 |
Gauteng |
13,414,069.13 |
KwaZulu-Natal |
26,061,820.41 |
Limpopo |
10,615,727.60 |
Mpumalanga |
8,281,485.36 |
Northern Cape |
13,388,668.93 |
North West |
8,263,634.98 |
Western Cape |
19,508,799.61 |
TOTAL |
118,613,975.03 |