Question NW3271 to the Minister of Health
03 November 2023 - NW3271
Mhlongo, Ms N to ask the Minister of Health
(a) What is the total number of South African doctors who have trained abroad since 1 January 2020, who are waiting to write the board examination of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) in order to be admitted as doctors in the Republic, (b) by what date will the HPCSA be in a position for the foreign-trained South African doctors to write the board examinations to be admitted as doctors, (c) what is causing the delay and (d) how long has the problem persisted unresolved by his department?
Reply:
According to the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA):
a) There were 405 foreign-qualified doctors eligible to write the HPCSA Board examination which includes both South Africans as well as foreign nationals. The eligible foreign-qualified doctors were invited to write the HPCSA examinations however only 217 applicants confirmed that they would write the examination.
b) A total of 217 foreign-trained doctors participated in the HPCSA examinations which were written on 25th October 2023.
c) The HPCSA examinations are conducted through medical schools. The HPCSA had embarked on a procurement process before its contract with Sefako Makgatho University had expired. The University of KwaZulu-Natal was successful, however, there were delays in the finalization of the contract between HPCSA and UKZN due to certain administrative requirements not being met by the University. These matters have now been resolved and the contract finalised which then led to the applicants being able to sit for the examination on 25th October 2023.
The National Department of Health is not involved in the contracting process of the HPCSA. HPCSA had previously contracted Sefako Makgatho University and this contract expired in March 2023. The new contract with the University of KwaZulu-Natal was signed in September 2023.
END.