Question NW1784 to the Minister of Health
21 August 2020 - NW1784
Waters, Mr M to ask the Minister of Health
(a) What criteria does a foreign doctor have to meet before the SA Health Professions Council (SAHPC) will register them, (b) how long does the process take from application to approval, (c) what total number of applications are currently before the SAHPC and (d) on which date was each application submitted?
Reply:
a) Foreign doctors are referred to as persons who hold qualifications not prescribed for registration and their registration is regulatedin terms the Regulations Relating to the Registration of Persons who hold Qualifications not Prescribed for Registration, which are regulations made in terms of section 25 read with section 15B(1)(c) of the Health Professions Act of 1974. As matters stand, the requirements for registration based on the same legislation and regulations which are still in force are as follows:
- a certified copy of the applicant’s identity document or passport;
- a copy of the degree certificate or other basic qualification, certified by a notary public, and a sworn translation thereof into English;
- a certified copy of the official and detailed curriculum of the applicant’s course of study, the specific courses, the content of education (theory) and training (practical/clinical), and the duration and mode of examination/evaluation. For training/curricula which is not equivalent to those offered in South African institutions, applicants will be required to pass, to the satisfaction of the board, an examination or evaluation in terms of section 25(2) of the Act in the profession for which he or she applies for registration;
- such verification of credentials as may be required by the board [Currently, through the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG);
- in the case of an application for registration in a profession for which internship training is a requirement, a certificate of completed training as an intern or of similar training or experience obtained elsewhere and the programme for such training;
- in the case of an application for registration in the category of independent practice, proof of compliance with the requirements of section 25(3A) of the Act [which states that;
- Despite section 24A, no person with a foreign qualification may be registered in the category independent practice unless he or she is a South African citizen or has attained permanent residence status in terms of the Immigration Act 2002, (Act No. 13 of 2002); and
-
- The Council may exempt any person who has applied for exemption and is in the Republic for a temporary and particular purpose
7. an original certificate of good standing, which shall not be more than six months old [on submission of the application to the HPCSA], issued by the foreign registration authority where the applicant is or was registered;
8. a letter of endorsement issued by the National Department of Health for a registration in terms of regulation 2(1), (2), (3) or (4), confirming the employability or placement of the applicant, or a letter of endorsement issued by the prospective employer for a registration in terms of regulation 2(5), (7) or (8), or confirmation of enrolment for postgraduate studies issued by the educational institution concerned for registration in terms of regulation 2(6); and
9. the prescribed registration fee.
b) Compliant applications are normally processed within 72 hours however, applications that require board examinations can only be concluded once applicants sit and pass those exams, as and when offered by the HPCSA.
c) There are currently 346 applications received between October 2019 and July 2020.
d) The following table reflects the details in this regard.
|
New Applications |
Awaiting Curriculum Review |
Repeaters |
||
|
Date |
No. applications |
Date |
No. applications |
No. applications |
|
7-Dec-17 |
1 |
26-Feb-18 |
1 |
Information on date of application not available |
|
6-Mar-18 |
1 |
25-May-18 |
1 |
|
|
9-Jul-18 |
1 |
15-Jan-19 |
6 |
|
|
21-Jan-19 |
1 |
16-Jan-19 |
4 |
|
|
22-Jan-19 |
1 |
17-Jan-19 |
1 |
|
|
23-Jan-19 |
1 |
18-Jan-19 |
1 |
|
|
31-Jan-19 |
1 |
23-Jan-19 |
1 |
|
|
19-Feb-19 |
1 |
28-Jan-19 |
1 |
|
|
3-Mar-19 |
1 |
4-Feb-19 |
1 |
|
|
18-Mar-19 |
1 |
17-Feb-19 |
1 |
|
|
20-Mar-19 |
1 |
25-Feb-19 |
1 |
|
|
2-Apr-19 |
1 |
16-Mar-19 |
1 |
|
|
7-Apr-19 |
1 |
26-Mar-19 |
1 |
|
|
10-Apr-19 |
2 |
28-Mar-19 |
1 |
|
|
26-Apr-19 |
1 |
11-Apr-19 |
1 |
|
|
3-May-19 |
1 |
10-May-19 |
1 |
|
|
29-May-19 |
1 |
17-May-19 |
1 |
|
|
11-Jun-19 |
2 |
24-Jun-19 |
1 |
|
|
21-Jun-19 |
3 |
25-Jun-19 |
1 |
|
|
24-Jun-19 |
1 |
15-Jul-19 |
1 |
|
|
2-Jul-19 |
1 |
16-Jul-19 |
1 |
|
|
11-Jul-19 |
1 |
29-Jul-19 |
1 |
|
|
12-Jul-19 |
3 |
30-Jul-19 |
1 |
|
|
16-Jul-19 |
2 |
8-Aug-19 |
1 |
|
|
22-Jul-19 |
1 |
14-Aug-19 |
1 |
|
|
30-Jul-19 |
1 |
21-Aug-19 |
1 |
|
|
1-Aug-19 |
2 |
26-Aug-19 |
1 |
|
|
2-Aug-19 |
2 |
28-Aug-19 |
1 |
|
|
7-Aug-19 |
1 |
9-Sep-19 |
3 |
|
|
8-Aug-19 |
1 |
25-Sep-19 |
2 |
|
|
15-Aug-19 |
1 |
30-Sep-19 |
1 |
|
|
16-Aug-19 |
1 |
1-Oct-19 |
1 |
|
|
22-Aug-19 |
2 |
4-Oct-19 |
2 |
|
|
28-Aug-19 |
1 |
11-Oct-19 |
1 |
|
|
2-Sep-19 |
1 |
14-Oct-19 |
2 |
|
|
5-Sep-19 |
3 |
24-Oct-19 |
1 |
|
|
16-Sep-19 |
1 |
25-Oct-19 |
1 |
|
|
20-Sep-19 |
1 |
28-Oct-19 |
1 |
|
|
27-Sep-19 |
1 |
29-Oct-19 |
1 |
|
|
1-Oct-19 |
1 |
14-Nov-19 |
1 |
|
|
14-Oct-19 |
1 |
19-Nov-19 |
2 |
|
|
23-Oct-19 |
1 |
9-Dec-19 |
1 |
|
|
24-Oct-19 |
1 |
20-Dec-19 |
2 |
|
|
25-Oct-19 |
1 |
13-Jan-20 |
1 |
|
|
28-Oct-19 |
1 |
20-Jan-20 |
1 |
|
|
5-Nov-19 |
4 |
22-Jan-20 |
2 |
|
|
11-Nov-19 |
3 |
27-Jan-20 |
3 |
|
|
14-Nov-19 |
2 |
28-Jan-20 |
1 |
|
|
17-Nov-19 |
1 |
29-Jan-20 |
1 |
|
|
20-Nov-19 |
1 |
30-Jan-20 |
1 |
|
|
27-Nov-19 |
1 |
8-Apr-20 |
1 |
|
|
28-Nov-19 |
1 |
30-Jun-20 |
1 |
|
|
2-Dec-19 |
4 |
8-Jul-20 |
1 |
|
|
6-Dec-19 |
3 |
|||
|
7-Dec-19 |
1 |
|||
|
9-Dec-19 |
1 |
|||
|
11-Dec-19 |
1 |
|||
|
12-Dec-19 |
2 |
|||
|
18-Dec-19 |
1 |
|||
|
23-Dec-19 |
1 |
|||
|
9-Jan-20 |
1 |
|||
|
22-Jan-20 |
3 |
|||
|
27-Jan-20 |
3 |
|||
|
29-Jan-20 |
1 |
|||
|
31-Jan-20 |
1 |
|||
|
5-Feb-20 |
1 |
|||
|
12-Feb-20 |
2 |
|||
|
13-Feb-20 |
1 |
|||
|
18-Feb-20 |
1 |
|||
|
26-Feb-20 |
1 |
|||
|
28-Feb-20 |
2 |
|||
|
9-Mar-20 |
1 |
|||
|
10-Mar-20 |
1 |
|||
|
11-Mar-20 |
1 |
|||
|
20-Mar-20 |
1 |
|||
|
31-Mar-20 |
1 |
|||
|
9-Jul-20 |
1 |
|||
|
13-Jul-20 |
1 |
|||
|
20-Jul-20 |
2 |
|||
|
21-Jul-20 |
1 |
|||
|
4-Aug-20 |
9 |
|||
|
Total |
120 |
71 |
155 |
END.