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Doctors’ support programme expands
Just a year after AHP launched its doctors’ support programme the project has more than doubled in size and now offers support to doctors in eight districts in South Africa.
Five new practice managers have been appointed and will join the three practice managers who are stationed in rural districts of the Eastern Cape. The new practice managers will be based in Capricorn and Vhembe in Limpopo, Nkangala in Mpumalanga, Cacadu in the Eastern Cape, and Tshwane in Gauteng.
AHP, with the support of rural healthcare expert Dr Tim Wilson, launched the doctors’ support programme in January last year in the Eastern Cape to address the lack of support for medical officers. The projects’ aim is to reduce professional isolation and increase retention rates of doctors in rural facilities in the Eastern Cape.
A dedicated practice manager was appointed for each district the project focused on: Funani Ntontela, Jonathan Holborn and Hluma Zakaza in Chris Hani, OR Tambo and Joe Gqabi districts respectively. An estimated 3,2 million people in these areas benefited from the programme last year and with its expansion even more communities will now have access to improved healthcare.
South Africa’s greatest obstacle in the public and particularly rural healthcare environment is a lack of qualified health workers. According to the national Department of Health’s human resources strategy document launched in October last year 43,6% of the South African population live in rural areas. However, they are served by only 12% of the country’s doctors.
The report mentions poor social infrastructure as a reason for the lack of health professionals in rural areas. The doctors’ support programme aims to address this by reducing the professional and personal isolation that doctors experience and facilitating and improving communication between managers and doctors. Through this programme AHP ultimately hopes to retain more doctors in public healthcare facilities.
Last year the three enthusiastic practice managers developed relationships with doctors and other medical staff and organised regular continued professional development (CPD) sessions for doctors. They also assisted doctors with administrative problems and assisted hospital managers with minor equipment repairs and purchases.
The five new practice managers are raring to go after receiving training at AHP’s offices in Johannesburg this week. Morongwa Magongoa, who will be working in the Nkangala district in Mpumalanga, said: “I am passionate about rural development. I believe in the ripple effect. I am starting a ripple in one district and that ripple can cause a lot of other ripples.”
Rathani Nemuramba is eager to return to the Vhembe district in Limpopo where she grew up: “I’ve always been interested in public health. I’m doing this for my country and to help to improve the quality of healthcare that people can access. ”
