Daily News reports that the Public and Allied Workers’ Union of SA (Pawusa) has lambasted the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) health department for “wasting” about R40 million on an unaccredited course for mortuary technicians.  

The funds were paid for training at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) in about 2008, but the course was not recognised by the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) or the SA Qualifications Authority (SAQA).  Mortuary technicians dissect bodies for forensic pathologists to examine.  The health department had managed to get the course registered only with the Higher Education Department.  The HPCSA declined to register the course and the training was postponed after running for two years.  Pawusa’s Halalisani Gumede said they wrote to the department last year requesting an investigation and the possible recovery of the money spent on the course.  In a written reply dated 21 February, the department said the matter had been closed because irregularities could not be identified due to a lack of relevant documents.  Gumede said the department was short of professional technicians and that the lost money could have been better used to recruit or train more people in the speciality.  Mary de Haas of the Medical Rights Advocacy Network said staffing issues were central to the current “dysfunctionality” of the mortuaries.

• Read the full original of Chris Ndaliso’s report on the above at Daily News

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