Dear colleagues The Medical School Student Representative Council (MSRC) would like to first of all thank you for the support you showed during the peaceful mass action against financial exclusions beginning of the year. Through the support from the KZN Provincial Government, Umthombo bursary, South African Medical Association (SAMA) and the MSRC bursary fund to mention a few, we were able to obtain a 0% financial exclusion at the NRMSM, which means of the students that were to be excluded on the 21st of February 2014 NO student was excluded because they lacked financial stability. Now the major intervention(which catered for the 35 students who were owing), from the KwaZulu Natal Department of Health(DOH) in the form of the MEC, Dr Sibongiseni Dlomo, was only a once off payment to clear the debt from 2013, so at to then allow the students to register for the current year. The students are still expected to pay their fees for 2014, including the registration fee and the residence deposit (if it applies). There are reports from the government and the general media that the shortage of doctors in our country is beyond critical. Medicine is a scarce skill in our country and therefore it needs to be treated special, it then follows without saying that no medical student should be excluded from the system because they cannot afford. The MSRC has put funding for medical students as one of its top priorities, and to avoid the scenario that happened this year on the 20th of February, the MSRC has decided to take proactive approach and has ventured on a program that aims to seek funding for financially needy medical students who are progressing academically. We have approached and are still in engagements with the National Department of Higher Education and Training, National Department of Health, the Provincial Departments, SAMA, to quest for sustainable forms of financial support for the needy medical students. We would like to then request all medical students who are not on any form of funding and require financial assistance to be able to further their studies in the medical career to come register their details at the MSRC office, Main Medical School Building, Ground floor Room 78. Please note registering your name with the MSRC does not guarantee you funding, and doesn’t mean individuals should stop applying for bursaries, but this will assist us in the engagements that we are to have with the different stakeholders. Let us be proactive in the fight against financial exclusions of student doctors. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela United we stand, divided we fall! Amandla!!! Issued by the MSRC President Contact no: 031 260 4526/4300/4440 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 12:39:02 +0000
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