TRADITIONAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS

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TRADITIONAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERS BILL

• BRIEFING BY NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO THE
  SELECT COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL SERVICES
• Date 7 OCTOBER 2004

2
1998 PUBLIC HEARINGS RECOMMENDATIONS MADE

• The Portfolio Committee on Health and the Select
  Committee of the NCOP made the following
  recommendations during the public hearings
• That there should be legal recognition of
  Traditional Healers as a Health resource
• That an Interim Council be established which will
  be responsible for the regulation of the
  profession of Traditional Healing

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RECOMMENDATIONS BY PARLIAMENT

• The Interim Council should report back to
  Parliament within (3) years, thereafter a
  permanent Council shall be constituted provided
  that they comply with the set conditions
• That a Forum be set up before the Council is
  formed to
• Ensure that all stakeholders and associations are
  taken on board and
• Unpack the complicated matter of training and
  accreditation and formulate a clear proposal

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Recommendations Continued

• That Traditional Healing remains part of the
  private health care sector not formal sector at
  this stage
• That the proposed categories of healers which the
  Interim Council will oversee should include the
  following

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Recommendations Continued

• Inyanga (Herbalist or Traditional doctor)
• Sangoma (Diviners)
• Traditional Birth Attendants (Ababelekisi)
• Traditional surgeons ( Iingcibi)
• Abathandazi were excluded because
• They are not traditional in nature
• Training and accreditation will be difficult

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PROPOSED FUNCTIONS OF THE INTERIM COUNCIL

• Registration of all qualifying traditional
  healers
• Promotion of training, research and
  professionalism in the sector
• Developing an ethical code of conduct and
  maintain discipline within the profession

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Interim Council functions Continued

• Setting up norms and standards with regard to the
  practice of traditional healing, including
  regulating the issuing of medical certificates
  and tariff levels
• Facilitate co-operation among traditional
  healers,medical professionals and the government

8
Interim Council functions Continued

• Research and creation of a database and
• Regulating anything incidental to traditional
  healing practice

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HIGHLISTS OF THE TRADITIONAL HEALER STAKEHOLDERS
WORKSHOP 18 JUNE 1999

• The workshop was held at the then Boulevard Hotel
  in Pretoria
• All 9 provinces were represented by four
• Traditional Healers
• Four (4) Health Professional Councils namely
  SANC, HPCSA,SAPC and Allied Health Professions
  Council of SA made presentations regarding their
  organisational structures as well as financial
  matters

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18 June Workshop continued

• All councils committed themselves to share
  information which can assist in the establishment
  of the Traditional Healers Council

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE STAKEHOLDERS MEETING HELD ON 20
FEBRUARY 2001

• Objectives of the meeting were
• To highlight issues that were raised at the 1998
  public hearings
• To report back on the progress made by DOH

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Highlights (Feb 2001) continued

• Taking the process forward following MINMEC
  meeting in September 2000, which endorsed the
  establishment of the Interim Council for
  Traditional Healers
• Setting up of a forum which will have an input in
  the drafting of the Bill by the DOH

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TRADITIONAL HEALERS ORGANISATIONS REPRESENTED

• Interim Coordinating Committee for Traditional
  Medical Practitioners (ICC)
• South African Traditional Healers Federation
• Traditional Healers of South Africa
• Professional Traditional Healers Register of
  South Africa
• Traditional Medical Practitioners and Spiritual
  Healers Organisation

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COMPOSITION OF THE FORUM AGREED UPON

• Nine (9) Traditional Healers nominated by the
  Traditional Healer Provincial representatives
• Five (5) nominated by the DOH
• Total 14

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ROLE OF NDOH ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BILL

• The NDOH conducted provincial road shows to
  inform Traditional Healers and other stakeholders
  about the contents of the Bill
• Presented to the Portfolio Committee in September
  2002
• Published the Bill on 11 April 2003 for a period
  of 3 months for public comments

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INPUT BY ORGANISATIONS

• Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa
• Eastern Cape Provincial Traditional Health
  Practitioners
• Free State Traditional Practitioners Forum
• Gauteng Traditional Health Practitioners Forum
• Institute For Democracy in South Africa (IDASA)

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Continue

• Kwazulu-Natal Traditional Health Practitioners
  Forum
• Northern Cape Traditional Practitioners Forum
• Traditional Healers Organisation
• South African Medical Association
• Spiritual Healers groups

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TABLING OF THE BILL IN PARLIAMENT

• Public Hearings were conducted by the Portfolio
  Committee in August 2004
• The Bill was tabled and accepted by the National
  Assembly on 9 September 2004

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WAY FORWARD

• The Department of Health will draft Regulations
  for the Traditional Health Practitioners Act
  which will make provision for constitution of the
  Interim Council in consultation with the
  Directorate Human Resource Development

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WAY FORWARD CONTINUED

• The Interim Council will be constituted according
  to the provisions of the Act and the Regulations
• The Interim Council will consist of 22 members,
  appointed by the Minister in the following manner

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CONSTITUTION OF COUNCIL

• Chairperson a traditional healer appointed by
  the Minister
• Vice-Chaiperson elected by members of the
  Council amongst themselves
• Nine Traditional Health Practitioners one from
  each Province with more than five years of
  practice as a traditional healer
• One employee of the Department of Health

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CONSTITUTION OF COUNCIL CONTINUED

• One appointed on account of knowledge of Law
• One Medical Practitioner who is a member of the
  HPCSA
• One Pharmacist who is a member of the South
  African Pharmacy Council
• Three Community Representatives

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CONSTITUTION OF COUNCIL CONTINUED

• One Representative from each category of
  Traditional healers defined in the Act which are
• Herbalists Iinyanga
• Diviners Sangoma
• Traditional Birth Attendants Ababelekisi
• Traditional Surgeons Iingcibi