(1)Following reports that the current nursing shortage in public health care stands at 1 nurse per 218 patients and noting that a total number of 12 000 posts are vacant in the public health sector, (a) what steps has his department taken to fill such posts and (b)(i) in which provinces will the specified vacancies be filled and (ii) what number of the total number of vacant posts will be filled;
(2) whether his department will be partnering with Temporary Employment Services to address the shortages; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what total number of posts in each province will be filled using the specified partnership?