Congratulatory message by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Dr BE Nzimande, on the occasion of the 36 year commemoration of the Walter Sisulu Faculty of Health Sciences
Programme Director;
Chancellor of Walter Sisulu University Dr Sheila Sisulu;
Vice-Chancellor of Walter Sisulu University, Professor Rushiella Songca and the executive management team of the University;
Chairperson of Council, Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi;
Members of the University Council;
Professor AJ Mbokazi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences;
Alumni, Staff and students of WSU;
Special guests;
Ladies and gentlemen
Thank you for the invitation and it gives me great pleasure to be part of this special event of the commemoration of Walter Sisulu’s celebration of its Faculty of Health Sciences, which was established 36 years ago.
The Faculty is the 3rd youngest in South Africa and was established in 1985. At the time of its establishment, the only health sciences programme that the university had was Nursing which was moved to the newly-established Faculty of Medicine.
The establishment of the health sciences faculty in 1985 was a key milestone for the University as it positioned the University to produce black doctors that would work in disenfranchised communities in this region and across the country. Over the past 36 years, the faculty has continued to play this crucial role.
As we all know, the South African health system has its challenges that manifest in its inequalities and unevenness, such as considerable inequities between urban and rural sectors and also between private and public services. In many ways, WSU has played an important role in addressing some of these inequities and identified gaps.
Unlike most medical schools in the country, which are not based in rural areas, WSU is well-positioned to enrol students from previously excluded catchment areas, and has produced fully capable health sciences professionals equipped to provide quality health care in both rural and urban South African communities.
The faculty’s niche in rural health education also positions the University at the forefront of producing the appropriate personnel for the South African health care challenges, in particular for those communities that are in desperate need for access to decent and affordable health services.
This commemoration comes at a time when the world is confronted with the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19, which has impacted all facets of life, including our institutions of higher learning.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the importance of the country investing in the training of health science professionals and the key role that all medical schools have to play in producing a professional health workforce.
The world is no longer the same as we knew it a year ago, and this poses serious challenges for health care services. It calls on all of us to re-imagine our ways of life, and in particular our ways of doing things, within the context of higher education, and to revisit how we carry out the university mandates of teaching and learning, research and community engagements.
This pandemic has particularly focused our attention on the importance of health sciences research for the South African context. Research into the COVID-19 pandemic has become a priority all over the world and this impresses upon us the need to seek creative ways of investing in research and innovation, while at the same time not neglecting other intractable challenges that continue to confront our higher education sector.
Challenges of funding constraints, student accommodation, and responsiveness of the academic programme to the developmental needs of the country remain persistent and need our creative responses.
The WSU health sciences faculty thus works very closely with the Provincial and National Departments of Health and the Department of Higher Education and Training in the pursuit of producing health professionals that enable the country to address the challenges in the provision of health services in South Africa, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
The Faculty has produced great leaders and medical professionals in our country, such as Professor Lungile Pepeta, who we sadly lost in 2020 due to COVID-related illness. Professor Pepeta, a paediatric cardiologist, academic leader and activist embodied the values of a passionate commitment to public health care and improving health care for the poorest communities in South Africa. May he rest in peace and his legacy live long.
Over the years the University has grown from producing quality health professionals in several areas such as MBChB, MMed, Nursing, Clinical Medical Practice and Medical Orthotics and Prosthetics.
It is important also to commend WSU for heeding the government’s call to produce additional doctors through the Nelson Mandela-Fidel Castro (NMFC) medical training programme. Given the limited capacity in the form of personnel and clinical training space in the country, the government embarked on an ambitious collaboration programme with the Cuban government to address the serious challenges in the production of medical doctors in South Africa.
Despite the Faculty of Health Sciences being one of the youngest in the country, the University enthusiastically responded to this call. From the 10 medical schools in the country, the university enrols 100 students on the NMFC programme, which is the 4th highest enrolment for the programme in the country.
In the face of limited resources, the university must be commended for this effort and dedication to fully participate at the forefront of addressing the shortage of doctors in the country.
To ensure that the university’s efforts and commitments are strengthened and to guarantee that the quality training of graduates is not compromised, the Department of Higher Education and Training continues to support the university through various targeted funding initiatives.
In addition to various earmarked grant funding initiatives such as the Infrastructure and Efficiency Grant, the Sibusiso Bengu Development Grant and the University Capacity Development Grant that are aimed at strengthening the teaching and learning space, the Department has a Clinical Training Grant which is targeted at strengthening the clinical training of health professionals.
Since 2008 the Department has allocated a total amount of R265 942 000 to Walter Sisulu University for the clinical training grant. These funds have been used by the university to pay for clinical training staff, equipment, operational costs and infrastructure related costs, such as accommodation at the clinical training sites. In addition to this support, additional once-off funding of R19 331 128 has been provided to support the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro medical programme.
Walter Sisulu University is due for Medical Sciences accreditation in the coming months and my officials have also informed me that they visited the Medical Sciences faculty in March at the Mthatha campus this year.
I am informed that the engagement was fruitful and the Department is working towards providing support to strengthen its current laboratory to ensure that WSU retains its accreditation when the process is concluded.
From the above engagements, I also learnt that the university plans to relocate its current laboratory and establish a state of the art Clinical Training Simulation Laboratory to strengthen its training capacity.
This plan is critical in ensuring that the university continues to produce quality graduates in its niche area of rural health and thus playing its critical part in meeting national health needs.
The Department will continue to support the School of Health Sciences in its pursuit of excellence and meeting the country’s health needs.
I further urge the university to continue the great work it has been doing for the past 36 years until, as a country, we ensure that each person in South Africa has equal access to quality health services.
Let's continue to grow WSU and South Africa Together
Thank you!
