Barry Streek
The allocation of medical graduates to one year of community service has helped to reduce the shortage of doctors and had a positive impact on the staffing of hospitals, according to Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.
She said in reply to a question tabled in the National Council of Provinces by Phillipus Nel (NNP) that 1E172 community doctors were allocated this year and 1E105 were working at present.
The Department of Health had sent questionnaires last year to the community doctors after the completion of their service and 70% said they found community service to be worthwhile, 73% felt they personally made a difference and 42% intended remaining in public service.
NPOs to discuss tax
Non-profit organisations (NPOs) are to meet in Cape Town at the end of the month to discuss the tax concessions announced by Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel in his budget speech in February.
The one-day workshop on March 28 is to discuss the next phase of the NPO tax lobbying campaign, says the Non-Profit Partnership’s Karen Nelson.
“Much work has gone into this campaign and all the effort is starting to bear fruit – the recent budget’s NPO proposals testify to this.
“However, much more has to be done in order to obtain the ultimate objective: that of creating an enabling, indeed a supportive, legislative and fiscal environment for NPOs to operate efficiently and effectively.”
SA to get R800m
The estimated international donor funding to South Africa for the 2000/2001 financial year is R800-million, including grants and technical support, according to Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel.
In 1999/2000 the government received R350-million in grants and about R410- million in technical assistance, while in 1998/99, R531,4-million was received in grant assistance and around R420-million in technical assistance.
ENDS