NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WROTTEN REPLY
QUESTION 2298
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 20/11/09
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER 28-2009)Â
Mr P F Smith (IFP) to ask the Minister of Higher Education and Training:
Why (a) does the Government allow the (i) less than optimal intake of
students at medical schools and (ii) turning away of a large number of
potential graduates on grounds of limited places and (b) the subsidy for or
investment in medical schools is not increased to match the costs
associated with the acceptance of all qualifying applicants in order to
promote the graduation of the numbers of health professionals required by
the country?
NW2764E
REPLY:
I) The number of admitted students into medical schools is not
controlled directly by the Government. The size of the intake of
new students into any medical school is determined primarily by
interactions between the university and hospital services of the
province in which it is located. Provincial hospital services
play a central role in medical education because they provide
the facilities, medical staff and, most importantly the patient
beds, required for the clinical training of medical students.
When a provincial service is forced to place limits on numbers
of patient beds and clinical supervisors which it can make
available for clinical training, the university concerned is
forced to place limits on its enrolments of medical students.
The university would be acting irresponsibly if it increased its
enrolment of first year medical students without being able to
offer them appropriate clinical training in their final years of
study.
II) The Department of Higher Education and Training has begun to
allocate clinical training grants to universities to assist with
the provision of clinical training services. The amount
allocated in the 2008/09 and 2009/10 financial years was R500
million, and in 2010/11 and 2011/12 is expected to be R680
million. These funds have to be used by universities to expand
clinical training opportunities, and in this way the numbers who
can be admitted their medical degrees.
Compiler: Professor Ian Bunting
Ext: 5276
DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL â HE
DATE
DIRECTOR âGENERAL
STATUS: APPROVED
DATE:
QUESTION 2298 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr. BE Nzimande, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
STATUS: APPROVED
DATE: