NEWSLETTER |
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RuDASA
Chairperson’s Report It has been a good year for RuDASA in some aspects, but major challenges remain in rural health care. Let me focus on some positive aspects:
A positive aspect has been that it is a percentage of one’s salary, creating more of an incentive for senior doctors. Problems with the implementation include that it is only for full time staff; only certain categories of nurses are included (RuDASA supports the inclusion of PHC nurses and advanced midwives) and how "rural" has been defined. We gave input into the health bill by written submision to the Portfolio committee, and the new National Health Act has incorporated it! It was specifically about including rural facilities as training facilities, and the Act states: "51. The Minister may, in consultation with the Minister of Education, establish academic health complexes, which may consist of one or more health facilities at all levels of the national health system, including peripheral facilities…" The rural student movement is growing, with more medical schools starting branches. This year the dates of the RSN and RuDASA conferences clashed, we hope it will not happen again. RuDASA has a good relationship with the TAC, and participated in the People’s Health summit in the Eastern Cape in July. There was a focus on challenges to implementing ARV’s in resource poor settings. We also have a good relationship with the Academy of Family Practice and the RHI. I wish I could say the same about the DOH! We have not had much contact this year. You may remember that we contributed to a discussion about a Rural Health Strategy at last year’s conference (Worcester, 2003). The DOH did not work on it for a whole year, and then wanted to present it at the Rural Nodes Conference this past week in Durban. Steve Reid was asked to work on it, and represented RuDASA at that conference. A small working group will continue working on it.
Elma de Vries |