Mediese Sertifikate ingevolge die Traditional Health Practitioners Act: Die Kwessie van Geldigheid en Betroubaarheid /Medical Certificates in terms of the Traditional Health Practitioners Act: The Issue of Validity and Reliability

Abstract

Abstract

On 1 May 2014, various provisions of the Traditional Health Practitioners Act 22 of 2007, came into effect. This resulted in the establishment of the Interim Council for Traditional Health Practitioners with the accompanying requirement that traditional healers must register with the council in order to practice lawfully in South Africa. Due to this development, a registered traditional healer is now included in the provisions of section 23 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997 for the purposes of issuing a valid medical certificate. Section 23(2) of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act states that a valid medical certificate for the purposes of sick leave must be issued and signed by a medical practitioner or any other person registered with a professional council and qualified to diagnose and treat patients. This stipulation raises several issues in relation to traditional healers. The requirement is that the person concerned must be qualified to diagnose and treat a person, but whether traditional healers qualify in this context is a bone of contention. It seems that the statutory provisions on the standards of training and the qualifications required for purposes of registration in terms of the Traditional Health Practitioners Act are lacking. This creates doubt about whether only fully-fledged traditional healers are registered in terms of the Traditional Health Practitioners Act and whether a registered traditional healer is competent to make a reliable diagnosis for purposes of sick leave. This means that employers remain uncertain about the reliability of a traditional healer's diagnosis and the incapacity of the employee.

Uittreksel

Op 1 Mei 2014 het 'n aantal bepalings van die Traditional Health Practitioners Act 22 van 2007 in werking getree. Die gevolg hiervan was die vestiging van die interim Raad vir tradisionele geneeshere en die nuwe vereiste dat tradisionele geneeshere nou by die interim Raad geregistreer moet wees ten einde wettiglik in Suid-Afrika te kan praktiseer. Weens hierdie nuwe vereiste sal 'n geregistreerde tradisionele geneesheer nou by artikel 23 van die Wet op Basiese Diensvoorwaardes 75 van 1997 vir doeleindes van die uitreiking van 'n geldige mediese sertifikaat, ingesluit word. In hierdie opsig bepaal artikel 23(2) van die Wet op Basiese Diensvoorwaardes dat 'n geldige mediese sertifikaat vir doeleindes van siekteverlof uitgereik en onderteken moet word deur 'n mediese praktisyn of 'n ander persoon wat by 'n beroepsraad geregistreer is en wat gekwalifiseer is om pasiënte te diagnoseer en te behandel. Hier kom die kwessie van tradisionele geneeshere sterk na vore. Die vereiste is dat die betrokke persoon gekwalifiseerd moet wees om 'n persoon te kan diagnoseer en te behandel, maar die kwalifikasie van tradisionele geneeshere in hierdie konteks is juis problematies. Dit blyk dat die statutêre bepalings aangaande standaarde van opleiding en kwalifikasies wat vir doeleindes van registrasie ingevolge die Traditional Health Practitioners Act verlang sal word, leemtes toon. Dit word betwyfel of tradisionele geneeshere wat ingevolge die Traditional Health Practitioners Act geregistreer word, bekwaam genoeg is om 'n betroubare diagnose vir doeleindes van siekteverlof te maak. Dit kan derhalwe vir werkgewers moeilik wees om sekerheid oor die betroubaarheid van 'n tradisionele geneesheer se diagnose en die ongeskiktheid van die werknemer te hê.