By: Nontobeko Moimane 03 November 2022

VUT and DHET delegation

The Vaal University of Technology’s (VUT) Health Sciences Department recently welcomed a delegation from the Department of Higher Education Training (DHET) as part of the Clinical Training Grant (CTG) oversight visit at the Vanderbijlpark campus.

Clinical Training is a process that involves training an individual in the medical treatment of patients or medical assessment of patient samples.

The purpose of the oversight visit was to evaluate the impact of the CTG allocated annually to fund clinical training and how it is utilised within the Health Sciences Department: Nursing and Medical Laboratory Sciences, previously known as Biomedical Technology.

Welcoming the guests, the Vice-Chancellor & Principal: Professor Dan Kgwadi, remarked that “we listen when you talk funding, as you bring support to the institution”. He added that VUT has a good strategy in place, and management is currently aligning it towards what it needs to achieve after the administration period. “Despite other challenges, the institution’s core business (research, teaching, and learning) remains intact,” he said, proudly.

Mr Alfred Makgato: Director- of Institutional Funds at DHET, stated that the purpose of the visit is to strengthen the relationship between DHET and VUT. This is an opportunity for the department to understand how the funds have been allocated and spent. “This will be a way to know how the funds can be enhanced and stretched to broaden a wider reach,” Makgato emphasised.

The visit also aimed at understanding the relationship that VUT has with relevant health professional councils to get support to ensure that students are receiving the necessary services.

Professor Christa Grobler, the Acting Executive Dean for the Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences, gave a presentation on how they have utilised the funding and what support they require from the department. “VUT mainly serves students from disadvantaged backgrounds; thus, there is a greater need for the CTG to augment university funding and ensure the provision of quality clinical training for VUT students,” Grobler said.

VUT students get assistance with clinical training from state-of-the-art laboratories on campus and field visits within clinical infrastructures within the Vaal region.

The presentation opened up a discussion on different aspects and funding requirements.

In closing, VUT has progressed to strategically optimise what they have been offered and meet the funding requirements. This indicates that the Health Science Department is committed to improving and exposing students to clinical training facilities to ensure that theoretical learning is understood through practical knowledge and the Work Integrated Learning and Clinical Learning programmes.

VUT is grateful for this opportunity to receive funds from DHET as it helps students in their clinical training.

The day concluded with the delegation given a tour of the different labs and facilities for the Health Science Department on the Vanderbijlpark campus.  Click here for more images.