Newsroom
A new category of healthcare workers
A new cadre of healthcare workers aimed at strengthening the health service will join the system this year. The first batch of a new category of health professionals, known as “clinical associates”, recently graduated from Wits University, in Johannesburg.
At the end of 2011, 25 students graduated with a Bachelor of Clinical Medical Practice and will become mid-level health workers positioned just above nurses and just below doctors. The new clinical associates category was created to address the South Africa's shortage of skilled healthcare professionals, particularly in the rural areas.
The clinical associates programme, which is currently offered by Wits University, University of Pretoria and Walter Sisulu University started as part of the recommendation of the Department of Health’s strategy on health human resources. The programme aims to enable universities to increase the number of health workers they produce and to add to the pool and diversity of the country's health workforce.
To read more on the clinical associates programme, please visit the Health-e website
