Bodies responsible for the registration of health professionals in the country say they welcome engagements with any stakeholders, including government leaders. 

This comes after the MEC for Health in the Free State, Viceroy Mahlatsi, committed to “facilitate ministerial engagements with HPCSA, Pharmacy Council and SANC to find a way of approving membership of those who studied abroad”. 

The HPCSA is the Health Professions Council of South Africa, the regulatory body responsible for the training, and registration of health professionals working in the country. The South African Pharmacy Council regulates pharmacists and SANC, the South African Nursing Council, regulates nursing.   

Mahlatsi made the commitment during an engagement session with about 500 foreign-trained doctors, pharmacists, medical technologists and nurses he hosted in Bloemfontein earlier this month.

During the session the health professionals claimed the examinations the respective councils expect them pass are gatekeeping their entry into the workforce as these are prepared differently from the exams written abroad. Mahlatsi’s spokesperson Motale Sebego says the health professionals also raised concerns that some of them were not getting jobs due to the professional councils taking a long time to approve them to work in the country.  

Health professionals, including nurses and pharmacists, who hold a foreign qualification must apply to the relevant council for registration to work in South Africa. The councils are responsible for vetting the qualifications held by these individuals to ensure that they are qualified to work in the country. 

“The MEC is welcome to engage the SANC on this matter as we are always open to engagement that will result in the protection of the public,” says SANC Registrar and CEO, Professor NG Mtshali.

The HPCSA explains that “all foreign qualified practitioners are subjected to a review of their curricula. Curricula that is determined to be satisfactory will require applicants to write and pass a medical board examination first (unless there had been one undertaken before) prior to registering.”  

Engagements with stakeholders, “provide an opportunity to explain laws, regulations and policies that inform its processes and procedures,” the HPCSA sys in a response to Health-e News. 

Vincent Tlala, Registrar/CEO of the SAPC says his organisation did have previous engagements with Mahlati’s predecessor, Montseng Tsiu.

“In 2021, the Office of the Registrar for the South African Pharmacy Council held a meeting with the Free State MEC for Health, the HOD, and other executives to discuss amongst other things, the training of pharmacists outside South Africa. 

“During the meeting, SAPC advised that should the provincial government elect to take students to study a pharmacy degree outside South Africa, the province should consult with the SAPC on whether the curriculum of the intended institution would be equivalent to the BPharm qualification accredited by Council.”

The MEC also committed to supporting these foreign-trained health professionals to get through the required exams. Mahaltis says his department has already paid R12m “to the University of Free State to assist 150 graduates from Russia, China, Turkey to prepare for the HPCSA Board Exams.” – Health-e News 

*Additional reporting by Ina Skosana