Qualified doctor turned businessman Dr Magome Masike is the latest to take up the hot seat at the troubled council.
Dr Magome Masike has a timeframe that by year-end he must have proven that he is the one to steer the HPCSA onto a better path. File imageEleven registrars in 11 years with Dr Magome Masike becoming the latest to take up the hot seat at the troubled Health Professions Council: he does not shy away from this embarrassing track record as he cites the number.
Masike has admitted there is deepening public distrust and loss of confidence and acknowledges that these are clear symptoms of things having gone wrong for the council. More recently, in June, another SIU report was presented to Masike. He acknowledges that “evidence-based” findings against the HPCSA cannot be ignored.
Masike also has a background in designing continued professional development programmes in the health sector and had a business development role at computer technology company Oracle. He is pursuing a PhD in public health.Various HPCSA members have complaints about drawn-out registration processes and clunky administrative systems that need to be completed for continued professional development points.
Coetzee adds: “We need openness and transparency. We need to stop cadre deployment and appointments to government structures must be on the basis of meritocracy. We need strong leadership, especially in the turmoil that the healthcare sector is in and being a member of the ANC could undermine Masike’s authority in the role.”
The Competition Commission’s health market inquiry in 2019 also blasted the HPCSA for not being flexible and innovative enough, in particular, around fee-sharing and subcontracting — a block to transforming the landscape that would allow for more competition and bring down healthcare costs.