NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 2245
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 13 NOVEMBER 2009
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 28)
Ms E More (DA) to ask the Minister of Health:
(a) What were the findings of the study that his department has conducted
into the production capacity of training institutions, (b) which learning
institutions were included in the study, (c) how many positions were
offered to students in each year, (d) for what professions and (e) what
progress has been made to improve the human resources situation since the
release of the report?
NW2954E
REPLY:
(a) Investigations into the production capacity of training institutions
are being undertaken as part of a review of health sciences education
and training. This review committee is chaired by the Deputy Director-
General in the National Department of Higher Education and has as
members, officials from the National Departments of Education, of
Finance (National Treasury) and of Health as well as representatives
from the Health Sciences Professional Council and also from Higher
Education institutions. As part of its terms of reference, the
committee is also examining the current student carrying capacity of
health sciences of faculties with a view to making recommendations on
how this capacity can be increased.
Preliminary findings of the review suggest that production can be
enhanced by providing resources to institutions for filling of vacant
practitioner posts, earmarked investments in space, faculty and
systems to support the expansion of health sciences education.
(b) Only programmes with clinical training requirements have been
included in the review. These are under-graduate degree programmes in
medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy,
speech pathology, audiology, dietetics, dental therapy, and masters
level specialist training programmes in medicine, surgery and
dentistry. Programmes in nursing are being reviewed in a separate
study which is in progress.
(c) The review of production capacity of training institutions has not
been finalized. It is therefore not possible at this stage to quantify
its effects on enrolments in the institutions.
(d) All health sciences education and training institutions offering the
abovementioned programmes are participating in the review. The review
of production of nursing professions covers all public nursing
colleges and schools. Resources are being mobilized to source
information from all private nursing training providers in the short
term.
(e) Additional clinical training budgets to 12 Universities have been
enhanced as a result of the review. Funds to the value of R200 million
have been earmarked for one or more of the following purposes:
⢠appointment of staff
⢠appointment of other staff to support the delivery of clinical
training services
⢠to support partnership agreements with public and/or private
providers of clinical training services
⢠to help meet the operating costs of clinical training
⢠to improve the infrastructure needed for clinical training,
including equipment, building refurbishment and the construction
of new clinical training facilities
END.