DA to make submissions on HPCSA probe

11 March 2015

The DA welcomes the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi's announcement that a panel of experts will be tasked with probing the maladministration and efficacy of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) (see report). 

The HPCSA is mandated to deal with complaints from the public about medical practitioners, accreditation of doctors and training institutions. The DA will be making submissions of our own on numerous complaints by the public and health professionals to the task team in order to assist its investigation.

Specifically our submissions include:

Graduate junior doctors complaints on registration with the council;

Foreign doctors lengthy waiting times to register;

Patients complaints on overcharging on medication by doctors;

Various complaints on poor conduct of health professionals at public and private institutions; and 

Private institutions complaints on delays of registration with the council. 

We believe these concerns require urgent attention given the pivotal role the HPCSA must play in promoting the health of the population, determining standards of professional education and training, and setting and maintaining excellent standards of ethical and professional practice.

The DA will continue to monitor and report maladministration and inefficiencies at the HPCSA to the task team and will follow up to ensure that remedial action is implemented.

We further call on the Health Minister to table the task team's findings and recommendations before Parliament for consideration as soon as the task team's report is completed.

Statement issued by Dr Wilmot James MP, DA Shadow Minister of Health, March 11 2015

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