The National Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize will on Wednesday, 22 January welcome a new cohort of medical interns and community service doctors who have recently begun their public service in various facilities throughout North West Province. In addition the Minister will also engage doctors from the Cuban Alumni Association of South Africa which has the largest concentration of membership in the North West.
The successful placement of all medical interns is seen as a big step in the right direction as the country and particularly the North West aggressively seek to reduce shortages of doctors and increase patient-doctor contact.
The Minister will also engage nurses at the hospital whom he regards as the backbone of health service delivery, particularly as government looks to strengthening the primary health care model in preparation for the National Health Insurance.
Human Resources for Health, the first pillar of the Presidential Health Compact, remains the top priority in the health agenda. Programmes such as the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro medical Programme, the new Higher Education Qualifications Sub Framework for nursing training and the various Human Resources for Health strategies adopted by provinces in collaboration with the National Department of Health have all culminated in the largest number of interns placed in history; more community service and senior doctors being employed in public service; and increased projections of nurses to be trained and placed leading up to the implementation of NHI.
The department remains committed to optimal Human Resources for Health for our population health needs.
The Media is invited to the Minister's visit as follows:
Date: Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Venue: Klerksdorp Hospital
Time: 10h00
For Media Inquiries:
Dr. Lwazi Manzi
MLO Minister of Health
0826788979
Tebogo Lekgethwane
Provincial Health Spokesperson
Cell: 082 929 9958
E-mail: tlekgethwane@nwpg.gov.za
