RUDASA NEWSLETTER
May 2005

CRISIS IN RURAL HOSPITALS
RUDASA vision and mission is that all rural people have access to quality health care services. In order to achieve that there should be adequate staffing, appropriate skills, appropriate facilities and adequate equipment and supplies. One of the biggest challenges rural hospitals face is inadequate staffing, of the rural health team, especially doctors. RUDASA has been involved in solving problems where hospitals were left with very few doctors, such as in North West (Taung) and Eastern Cape Provinces (SS Gidda and Emadwaleni). This was done through writing and communication with relevant Hospital, District and Provincial Health Department management. RUDASA is encouraging all rural hospitals facing crisis to contact their provincial representative for assistance and support.

RECRUITMENT AGENCY
RHI (Rural Health Initiative) and Rudasa are launching a Recruitment Project for Rural Health Services. The project includes facilitation of registration and immigration process, website and advertising, orientation of new recruits and development of recruitment capacity in all provinces. Professional recruitment practitioners Tracey Hudson and Lumka Funani as well as Roger Day (website fundi) are involved. If you know of doctors who are struggling to get registered or who are interested in coming to work in a rural hospital in South Africa, please contact us as follows: Tracey Hudson: Email: recruiter@airwave.co.za. Telephone: 031 7644740. There are different processes depending on the qualification and experience of the doctor. We will also assist South African doctors who have worked abroad and want to come back and need help with registration issues, advice about rural hospitals etc. We also want to recruit doctors from SA to work in rural areas. Hospitals and services who need doctors (and other health workers) to be recruited may also contact us. The RUDASA provincial representative or other committee members may be contacted for more information.

RUDASA CONFERENCES
RUDASA conferences which are held annually offer support in that doctors working in rural areas from all over South Africa come together and share experiences and challenges. Last year's conference was held in Thohoyandou, and was quite successful in addressing current challenges facing our country such as HIV/AIDS and poverty.

There was a major focus on HIV, with discussions on how to run an ARV clinic in a resource poor area. The presenters emphasised the importance of treating patients at community based facilities after the initial stabilisation of ARV treatment. RuDASA awarded the prestigious Pierre Jaques Rural Doctor of the Year prize to Dr. Herman Reuter in recognition of his tireless work in providing ARV in the area of Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape. Nominations are invited for the Rural Doctor of the Year Award for 2005.

9th Annual Conference will be held in the Eastern Cape. RuDASA has joined with the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care and the Family Medicine Education Consortium to present the 13th National Family Practitioners Conference in Mthatha, 5-7 August 2005. For more information go to http://www.nfpc.co.za. RuDASA members wishing to present papers or workshops should submit abstracts directly to the scientific programme convenor on abofacil@iafrica.com, with a copy to Dr Sabine Verkuijl from RuDASA on sabine@hst.org.za. The 2005 AGM ill be held during the conference.

This will be followed by a post-conference RUDASA meeting at Bulungula Backpackers, Wild Coast, Transkei. Delegates must arrive on the 7th August for the official opening and the conference will take place on the 8th August. Contact the Conference Organisers: Dr William Mapham on 0823255842, drwilliam@webmail.co.za, Dr Sabine Verkuijl Cell: 083 2894963 Email: sabine@hst.org.za, Contact Bulungula Backpackers: Dave on 047 577 8900, dave@bulungula.com

NOTICES OF PAYMENTS
It was decided at the AGM in September 2004 that the annual RuDASA membership fee would be R60 for interns, community service doctor and allied health professionals. All other doctors will pay the same amount of R100. Please find a membership form attached. The money is used for teleconferences, travel expenses to meetings (e.g. with the Department of Health), rural research and postage of newsletters. We have decided to also give R2000.00 to rural student clubs, to be used for rural exposure including placements during university vacations.

PALLIATIVE CARE TRAINING
Hospice Palliative Care Association (HPCA) and Rural Health Initiative (RHI) have collaborated to produce a curriculum for distance learning in palliative care. Health care professionals in South Africa are experiencing the symptoms of stress and burn-out because they are faced with the reality of dealing with seriously ill and dying patients an a daily basis without having received training in palliative care. The purpose of the Introduction to Palliative Care course is to equip health care professionals with the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to practice compassionate palliative care in their own health care setting.

The course comprises is an introductory 3 day workshop period and then 6 months of self-directed, distance-learning facilitated by HPCA trainers and concluding with a 2 day consolidation period. Participants are invited to register from health care sites, ideally as multiprofessional groups - doctors, professional nurses and social workers (psychologists and spiritual counselors are also invited). If only one participant from a health care site applies, the application will also be accepted. Contact Dr Liz Gwyther (Education & Research co-coordinator: HPCA South Africa) at 021-5310277, e-mail liz@hpca.co.za

WEBSITE
The RuDASA website, www.rudasa.org.za, is fully operational and has much useful information as well as a number of resources on it. We welcome suggestions for additional information to place on the website. We particularly request information about sites for students wishing to do rural electives. Send details to Ian Couper on couperid@medicine.wits.ac.za

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

DR NTODENI NDWAMATO
RUDASA CHAIRPERSON