The 24th Annual Conference of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA) hosted by the Health Professions Council of South Africa, has opened in Rustenburg in the North West.
The four day conference aims to facilitate dialogues to ensure an effective healthcare sector on the continent by supporting best practices and knowledge as well as addressing challenges faced by health professions. More than 20 African countries are expected to attend.
OpeningHighlights: “The theme of this conference “The Future of the Health Workforce and its Regulation” places focus on some aspects that have been challenging health systems for many decades”
— #AMCOA2022 (@22Amcoa) October 2, 2022
The health sector in South Africa has been severely affected by several factors especially the ongoing load shedding. While the Minister of Health Dr. Joe Phaahla has announced that several hospitals will be exempted from load shedding, health practitioners feel that the load shedding exemption should apply to all facilities.
Medical doctor Tshepo Matseke says, ‘’We are all having load shedding problem. If an asthmatic patient was to here arrive we will not be able to give them nebulization.’’ He also added that shortages of medication at different clinics and hospitals have undermined the gains achieved in ensuring consistent treatment for chronic patients.
Other setbacks also include practicing restrictions and long working hours, but representatives of medical councils attending the 24th Association of Medical Council of Africa conference hope that it will address challenges faced by the sector across the continent. The Health Professions Council of South Africa’s President Professor, Simon Nemutandani, explains:
“Only we should be able to train the Health Practitioners that are able to practice all over Africa. Whether it’s Nigeria, in Zimbabwe, in Ghana or Burundi. We should be having Health Practitioners that are able to practice and that can be made possible by the regulatory report body.”
Dr. Kgosi Leptlape president of the AMCOA emphasized that more support should be given to health care professionals.
“I hope we will be able to stop that we are used to working long hours, this is what we went through because we are perpetuating oppression of the professions and the professionalisation of the profession. We need to embrace progress and accept that even health care professionals are human. They have human rights too.”
The Health Minister Dr. Phaahla and his Namibian counterpart are expected to give key note addresses at the conference.
