personnel become available
25 March 2009
South Africa's FIFA 2010 preparations are set to receive a major boost with
the graduation of Emergency Medical Services personnel tomorrow, 26 March at
North West Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) College in Orkney, North
West.
The graduation tomorrow coincides with the official opening of the same
college by the Deputy Minister of Health Dr Molefi Sefularo who is also driving
the department's health preparations for the soccer spectacular.
In total, 392 students are currently enrolled in the three EMRS colleges,
Orkney (North West), Lebone (Gauteng), KwaZulu-Natal as well as the South
African Military Health Services (SHAMS). It is expected that more students are
going to be graduating from these other colleges over and above the 23 that
will be graduating tomorrow. All the students on the programme are funded by
the provincial health departments through a bursary contract which ties them to
the funding departments for a two year period.
The two year National Certificate Programme is National Qualifications
Framework (NQF) level five, registered with the South African Qualifications
Authority.
The introduction of this programme by the Department of Health forms part of
initiatives to introduce a new mid-level worker qualification for an Emergency
Care Technician (ECT) and address the pressing human resources challenges
facing health delivery in the country. The Emergency Care Technicians will have
the ability to make certain clinical decisions based on their level of training
and thus ensure that appropriate and efficient quality care is given
particularly in the remote areas where access to health services is still
challenged by a number of factors.
Members of the media are invited to attend and cover this important occasion
in the history of healthcare delivery in the country especially as preparations
for the Confederations Cup and the FIFA 2010 event move into a new level.
Date: 26 March 2009
Time: 10h00
Venue: North West EMRS College in Orkney.
For more information please contact:
Fidel Hadebe
Tel: 012 312 0663
Cell: 079 517 3333
Sarah Mafa
Cell: 079 697 9988
Issued by: Department of Health
25 March 2009
