DUT sets the record straight on course

“R40M WASTED on unaccredited DUT courses for mortuary staff” (Daily News, March 5) refers.

The Durban University of Technology would like to state on record that at no given time did the university provide any expectation that the aforementioned short courses were accredited by any statutory authority.

In 2004/5, the university was approached by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health (DoH) to develop a certificate course in Mortuary Practise.

It was agreed that DUT would be the registered service provider and that the appropriate accreditation for the course would be sought.

The course developed consisted of about 10 modules covering the legal, administrative, theoretical, technical and practical aspects. This course was aimed at those who were deployed in hospital mortuaries, anatomical pathology and medico- legal mortuaries, schools of anatomy at tertiary institutions and the private sector (undertakers). DUT offered the short training courses for skills upgrade as a service in response to a request from the DoH.

Parties were aware the university did not have a current programme accredited by the appropriate authorities to offer, as there was no historical need at the time. ALAN KHAN | Senior Director: Corporate

Affairs DUT