Foreign-trained doctors sit for practical exams

THIRTY South African foreign-trained doctors wrote the objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE) in Pretoria last week.

This was after the Pretoria High Court recently ordered the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and the Medical and Dental Professions Board (MDPB) to allow students to write the OSCE, a practical examination.

If they pass, they will be allowed to join the Department of Health’s internship programme where they will work in local hospitals. Until now, the HPCSA and the MDPB made it difficult for foreign-trained graduates to write exams and practise in South Africa.

Geremie Nayager, 27, of Phoenix, Durban, who studied at the Anhui Medical University in China, was among the group that wrote. He said he completed his six years of study in 2019.

“I sat for the theory component earlier this year. Six days prior to the urgent action in the Pretoria High Court for us to do the OSCE, I was invited (to write). Regardless of the short notice period, I accepted the invite. I studied day and night to ensure I did my best in the exam.

“This was more than an ordinary exam for me. My sweat and tears for years have paid off. Even though the exam was difficult, I am grateful for the opportunity. The thought of having stability in the near future is the best thing that I could have.”

He said the results were expected in two weeks.

Advocate Rene Govender, who started the South African Internationally Trained Health Professionals Association (Saithpa), represented 109 foreign-trained doctors in their application to write the examinations.

This week she said 40 received the invite and 10 declined to write due to adverse conditions.

“The conditions are that the examinations were not recorded, especially in the OSCE (practical) component. Others declined because the HPCSA was not allowing the remarking of scripts.”

She said Saithpa intended to take a matter of contempt to the Pretoria High Court regarding those students that were not invited to write. “We are hoping for the court to enforce the order and for all the doctors to write the next exam.”

The HPCSA had not responded by the time of publication.