The Durban University of Technology’s (DUT) Department of Biomedical and Clinical Technology will again this year host an Oath ceremony for the graduates of the Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc). Dr Nonhlanhla Mbatha, the Head of Department, “birthed” the idea of an oath ceremony for BHSc graduates, similar to other professions that hold such ceremonies for their soon-to-be practitioners. Following the successful launch the Professional Oath ceremony last year July, the ceremony will now be an annual event for DUT BHSc graduates in the Department, and will be held just before or soon after they graduate and enter the world of work as practitioners. The aim of the Professional Oath ceremony is to instil the ethical values that will contribute to the highest commitment of care, aligned with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) guidelines, for independent practice. Dr Mbatha hopes that other universities that produce BHSc Medical Laboratory Science graduates would adopt this oath and hold a similar ceremony.
The first cohort of DUT BHSc Medical Laboratory Science students graduated in 2022, with the second cohort graduating in 2023, upon completing the four-year professional degree qualification. The BHSc degree programme includes training in clinical practice, which occurs in collaboration with committed and dedicated clinical training instructors and supervisors from both private and state laboratories. Both the 2022 and 2023 graduate cohorts took the Professional Oath, pledging their commitment and making a solemn promise to abide by this oath, and in so doing they swore that they shall serve all fellow human beings without discrimination by race, gender, ethnicity, or creed; and they also pledged to always uphold the name of the university as well as their profession.
Ms Akhona Francina Vuma, the Chairperson of the Professional Board of Medical Technology (PBMT) of HPCSA, was a keynote speaker at the inaugural ceremony. When addressing the graduates, she highlighted responsibility towards the healthcare of patients, and by extension the protection of the communities they serve and the wellbeing of the public at large. Ms Vuma said “…you will be taking your oath, your professional oath, to ensure that you are aware of what you stepped into in your communities, the health facilities that you will be serving in the future, and the ones that you are serving now…”.
Dr Lorna Madurai, a Medical Technologist, who was also one of the speakers at the 2023 ceremony said “…it is crucial that information is treated with strict confidentiality, impartiality, and that recognition of conflict of interest is a major concept that one must abide by…”. Dr Madurai further alluded to the importance of medical technology and laboratory medicine in patient management, saying that without Medical Laboratory Practitioners, Doctors are guessing. This was to highlight the value of the profession in healthcare and disease management, and it being very essential that ethics and integrity are paramount principles that must be upheld by practitioners.
Last Updated on 1 March 2024 by HPCSA Corporate Affairs