welcomed 12 Tunisian doctors in East London
19 December 2007
This follows an initiative by the Eastern Cape Department of Health's
International Liaison Unit of seeking a successful bilateral partnership
between South Africa and Tunisia to increase the number of doctors in the
province.
An agreement between South Africa and Tunisia was also signed in order to
provide a framework for the recruitment of Tunisian medical professionals, who
will address the shortage of health professionals in the health public
sector.
The health professionals would be recruited solely for the purpose of
providing health services to rural and other disadvantaged communities within
areas where such services are inadequate, to assist in the provision of
adequate health services in clinics, hospitals and community health centres and
provide training and support to local health professionals who work in those
areas.
According to the Acting Director of International Liaison and Partnerships,
Mr M Mjoli, "twelve Tunisian doctors arrived on Monday, 17 December 2007 and
will spend three to six months in regional and complex hospitals before they
can be deployed to district hospitals. Seventeen are expected to arrive between
now and January and the last batch will come at a later stage. The doctors
expected are forty in total" he said.
The majority of these doctors have been practicing as private general
practitioners, and will need time to re-orientate themselves into a hospital
and recapture; specifically surgical skills.
The MEC, in her welcoming address mentioned that South Africa has a
challenge, they being Multi Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR) and Extreme
Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR). She also added that non communicable
diseases like diabetes remain a challenge. She also stressed the need to
strengthen primary healthcare. The MEC was very excited to receive a group of
doctors.
The doctor's specialties range amongst others from oncology, paediatrics,
psychiatry, anaesthetics, urology and intensive care.
The Eastern Cape Health Department endeavours to provide and ensure
accessible and comprehensive integrated services in the province emphasising
the primary health care approach, utilising and developing all resources to
enable all its present and future generations to enjoy health and quality of
life, the MEC added.
Issued by: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
19 December 2007
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecpg.gov.za)
