Presentation on HPCSA to the Portfolio Committee on Health : Parliament of RSA

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Presentation on HPCSA to the Portfolio Committee
on Health Parliament of RSA

• by
• Professor T J Mariba, Acting President
• Adv. B Mkhize, Registrar
• 02 October 2001

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HPCSA MISSION STATEMENT Protecting the public
and guiding the professions
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HPCSA AS AN ORGANIZATION

• PURPOSE
• To develop frameworks for the establishment of
  universal norms and values of the health
  professions
• To promote health of the population by
  determining standards of professional training,
  and setting and maintaining fair standards of
  professional practice.
• To protect and safeguard the public through
  determination and enforcement of ethical
  professional practice standards.

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FUNCTIONS

• The primary functions of the Council and the
  professional boards are two fold
• Recognition of professional qualifications -
  laying down of the minimum standards of training
  inspection of training and conducting certain
  examinations.
• Professional practice - to set, maintain, and
  apply fair standards of professional conduct and
  practice in order to protect the public.

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FUNCTIONS (continued)

• Control of professional conduct -
• The disciplinary duties of the Council and the
  professional boards are discharged in accordance
  with legal principles following upon formal
  complaints lodged with the Council against
  registered persons.
• Patients may also pursue civil litigation.
  Courts are also obliged to inform the Council of
  proceedings in which registered professional
  persons are found guilty.

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STRUCTURE OF THE HPCSA AND SUB-BODIES
HPCSA (Continued)
Parliament
Professional Board for Dental Therapy Oral
Hygiene
Minister of Health
Professional Board for Dietetics
Professional Board for Emergency Care Personnel
Department of Health
Professional Board for Environmental Health
Practitioners
Medical Dental Professions Board
HPCSA
Professional Board for Medical Technology
Professional Board for Occupational Therapy
Medical Orthotics/Prosthetics
Professional Board for Optometry Dispensing
Opticians
Professional Board for Physiotherapy, Podiatry
Biokinetics
Professional Board for Psychology
Professional Board for Radiography Clinical
Technology
Professional Board for Speech, Language Hearing
Professions
COUNCILS ADMINISTRATION
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NUMBER OF REGISTERED PERSONS IN SEPTEMBER
2001PER PROFESSIONAL BOARD PROVIDED FOR UNDER
THE HPCSA
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• Medical students - Decrease in admissions at
  Medical Schools Gap between Black and White
  Students
• Issue of academic institutions
• HPCSA has no jurisdiction over academic
  institutions due to separate legislation and
  different admission policies governing each
  institution therefore cannot intervene

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• Measures to reduce disparities between urban and
  rural doctors
• Health Department/Provincial Departments issue
• HPCSA however supports initiatives to bridge the
  gap between rural and urban practitioners/environm
  ent, e.g. Cuban involvement gov-to-gov
  agreements
• Health Dept investigating possible rural
  incentives

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• Dispensing Doctors Implementation of Dispensing
  Legislation
• - Health Department Process
• - Dept of Health in the process of finalising
  Regulations to implement the Act
• - Doctors will be subject to the provisions of
  the new Medicine and Related Substances
  Amendment Act, 1997

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Lack of suitable academics in Public Institutions

• HPCSA has no jurisdiction over this matter
• Where lack of expertise leads to a drop in
  standards, HPCSA may refuse to accredit such
  programs as falling below the accepted norms
• In the process of reviewing internship program to
  be much more broader in scope and cover all
  disciplines adequately

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Registration of Foreign Practitioners

• Regulations published on 28 November 2000,
  Government Notice R.1203 providing for
  registration with Council in the following
  categories after successfully completing
  prescribed examinations
• Public Service (General/Specialist)
• Independent Practice (General /Specialist)
• Postgraduate etc

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Registration of Foreign Practitioners

• Effect of the new regulations is that the
  moratorium on recruitment of foreign
  practitioners has been lifted.
• No restrictions are imposed save as provided for
  in terms of the regulations.
• Council/Board Examinations for registration in
  the public service are run twice per annum at
  present - this frequency is being reviewed to
  cater for the demand
• Major challenges around verification of
  information and credentials for the purposes of
  registration.

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GENERAL CONTACT INFORMATION

• For further information on Council and
  Professional Boards, as well as for details on
  specific services and relevant application forms,
  please visit Councils
• web site.
• Councils web site address
• www.hpcsa.co.za
• General contact numbers
• Telephone [phone]
• Fax No 012 328 5120
• E-mail hpcsa_at_hpcsa.co.za