DA calls for EMRS bursary graduates to be placed in public health facilities 

19 September 2016

The Democratic Alliance will today write to Health MEC, Magome Masike, to request that he engages health facilities to ensure graduates in the EMRS programme are immediately placed at work to serve their contractual obligations.

The bursary contract for the EMRS course stipulates that graduates have to immediately continue to serve the Department of Health for a continuous period of one year for each year of study. 

In April 2015, the Department was placed under administration due to financial instability and mismanagement. Because of this, all positions that were promised to potential graduates were frozen. 

North West is a predominantly rural area and already struggles to attract medical personnel as many graduates choose to work in big cities or in the private sector. 

Residents in the province often complain that emergency services arrive late when they are called to assist, and in some cases,  they don’t even arrive at all. EMRS is a critical service that is much needed in this province. 

The EMRS bursary programme was an excellent initiative that guaranteed that the department had medical personnel. However, due to the ANC’s mismanagement, the Department has failed. This initiative would help reduce unemployment and help lift our young people get out of poverty. 

MEC Masike must engage with public health facilities to ensure that graduates in the EMRS programme are placed at work, serve out their contractual obligations and ultimately serve the people of the North West. 

Issued by Tutu Faleni, DA NW Spokesperson on Health, 19 September 2016