Business Day. South Africa. Thursday 07 September 2000
SA UNIVERSITIES teaching medicine once again face pressure from the health ministry to make their selection of students more representative of the population as a whole.
Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang indicated this yesterday, but would not be drawn on the detail until she had spoken to universities about the issue. She was seeing off a further group of 61 students from disadvantaged backgrounds who will study medicine in Cuba.
The Cuban government foots most of the bill for the SA students who, Tshabalala-Msimang said, would not be able to pay for a medical education in SA.
"Opportunities and possibilities for students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have to be created.
"I do not buy into some of the reasons they give us as to why they cannot take these students," she said.
Students selected have a university entrance matriculation pass with good marks in science. Some leniency is shown, however, if one of several science marks is lower than others. A major criterion, however, is the fact that they come from families that would not be able to pay for further
education in SA.
On their return, the students are bound to working in SA public health facilities for seven years. They have all signed contracts with the health department to this effect.
Replying to a query from one of the students bound for Cuba last night, Tshabalala-Msimang said registration in this country had not yet been finalised. It was possible students would still have to write an examination on their return to SA.
Cuba insists that all students be tested for HIV and has had to send students with the virus back to SA in the past. The current group have all been tested for HIV.
Sep 07 2000 12:00:00:000AM Pat Sidley Business Day 1st Edition
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