SA Medical Association and KZN Department of Health join forces to enhance healthcare
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health and the recently formed South African Medical Association (SAMA) provincial branch have committed to collaborating to improve healthcare within the province.
SAMA chairperson Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa said the establishment of the SAMA KZN structure aims to strengthen advocacy, improve coordination, and achieve more impactful engagement in health policy.
“The KZN provincial structure is a game-changer. It translates SAMA’s national influence into tangible provincial action, ensuring that advocacy is not just broad, but grounded, inclusive, and impactful,” Mzukwa said.
SAMA CEO Dr Mzulungile Nodikida said that the impact they are making at a national level is what they want to be felt at the provincial level.
He said there was no time for elections. They wanted provincial doctors to elect their leadership. Therefore, the current branch chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, and treasurers will form an interim provincial working committee. Provincial chairpersons, vice chairpersons and treasurers will be elected from the provincial working committee.
KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane delivered a keynote address, outlining collaborative efforts to ensure communities receive optimal health services from both the Department of Health and SAMA members.
Simelane highlighted the launch as a significant milestone, emphasising the importance of a professional body being able to communicate with a unified voice.
She said SAMA has long been known as an organisation that does not allow them to rest on their laurels.
“You constantly keep us on our toes, reminding us of the unfinished business that exists in healthcare. For that, we are grateful because if the Department of Health is not challenged, risks and complacency are dangerous in healthcare,” Simelane said.
“You are a necessary voice in ensuring accountability, transparency and fairness in governments.”
Despite years of budget cuts amounting to billions of rand and resulting staff shortages, Simelane stated that the department remains committed to advocating for increased posts, more resources, and improved working conditions.
“We’ve managed to have a discussion as the executive council of the province of KwaZulu-Natal. As a result of that, we agreed to advertise 150 posts, of which 100 are for medical officers and 50 are for medical specialists. This is in addition to the 20 doctors’ posts that we advertised late in June this year. Along with the 150 posts that I’ve mentioned, we have also created 40 posts for specialised nurses and 80 additional posts for entry-level nurses,” Simelane said.
Reacting to SAMA delegates getting an introduction to an interactive artificial intelligence (AI) workshop, Simelane commended SAMA for also looking ahead to the future by embracing AI and exploring how its capabilities can be harnessed in healthcare.
She said AI’s potential in healthcare includes shortening diagnostic times, aiding early disease detection, and enhancing hospital management. By reducing human error, AI allows healthcare professionals to devote more time to the uniquely human aspects of care.
“In a province as vast and diverse as KwaZulu-Natal, AI can help bridge the gap between rural and urban healthcare, ensuring that patients in remote communities benefit from the same speed and accuracy of service as those in urban centres,” Simelane said.
SAMA KZN chairperson Dr Zanele Bikitsha expressed her gratitude for the confidence the branches have in her to lead them in the structures.
“I want to thank them for the confidence that they’ve seen, that I can take SAMA in the province forward,” Bikitsha said.
She added that KwaZulu-Natal has embraced a district development model for service delivery across the province.
“This presents quite a few challenges because you’ve got cross-border issues, you’ve got grey areas where they’re not covered by facilities. So, it’s unique in that nature… Every conversation that you must have around health, in KZN, needs to speak to the rural community,” Bikitsha said.
thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za