The state has set itself an ambitious goal of creating more than 5000 jobs in public health from next month.

Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi made the announcement yesterday on behalf of the National Health Council, a statutory body he chairs, following its meeting on Thursday and Friday.

The council comprises nine health MECs and their heads of department, the deputy minister of health and the surgeon-general of the SA Military Health Services, among others. The move is part of the implementation of the presidential health summit recommendations in response to the health crisis.

"This announcement, which will result in the filling of more than 5300 posts in provincial health departments from the beginning of next month, in addition to being a product of the [President Cyril Ramaphosa's] stimulus package is also the implementation of the recommendations of the presidential health summit," said Motsoaledi.

"We are alive to the fact that the health system still needs more personnel, but this is what we could afford.

"We are working on improvements that must be effected in the next coming financial years, starting with the 2019/20 financial year."

Motsoaledi said other parts of the stimulus package like beds and linen have already been made at the national level and distribution will be done to the provinces.

The health minister noted that the appointments would go a long way towards improving the quality of health care in public health facilities in all the provinces.

The jobs will include registrars, pharmacists, pharmacy assistants, radiographers, specialists, psychologists, physiotherapists and other allied health professionals.

The jobs resolution comes after concerns were raised earlier this year about the public health-care system being on the brink of collapse due to the severe shortage of medical staff and hospital beds.

The minister added: "The shortages in these three areas are very acute, especially the human resources part, which declined over the past three years due to severe budget constraints as a result of the poor state of the economy.

"Understaffing, especially in the provinces, has been cited as one of the major contributing factors that have negatively affected the provision of health care."