Med school student intake to be increased
THE Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine at Durban’s University of Kwazulu-natal will increase its intake of students within the next two years, said KZN Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo.
The department concluded successful negotiations with the university to roll out the increase. Dhlomo’s spokesperson, Desmond Motha, said the eight medical schools across the country’s universities accepted 200 students each year and the production of doctors was around 1 600 a year, depending on pass rates.
He said the department also looked at other avenues to create more doctors and introduced the Cuban programme.
Reacting to the news of the arrests of members of a syndicate alleged to have been selling places at UKZN’S College of Health Sciences and particularly the medical school, Dhlomo said: “We commend the Hawks, SAPS and all other parties involved in this operation, which led to these arrests. The department has an extremely valuable and strategic partnership with UKZN, which has borne a lot of fruit in terms of improving health outcomes in the province.
“UKZN and its school of medicine is a paragon of excellence, having produced great leaders in the sphere of medicine, such as our Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Dr Zweli Mkhize and Dr Frank Mdlalose.”
He said although the matter was now subject to an investigation by authorities, he was concerned that some individuals might have fraudulently entered the health system through the syndicate.
“The field of health sciences cannot be likened to any other, because it is about life and death. As such, there is absolutely no room for people to commit fraud in this or any other manner. Such actions fly in the face of all our efforts to transform the health sector and realise our goal to attain optimal health for all persons in Kwazulu-natal.”
President of the Health Professions Council of SA Dr Tebogo Kgosietsile Solomon Letlape said: “We hope to see a report on this investigation to determine the way forward.”