History of Faculty of Health Sciences

The Walter Sisulu University (WSU) was established 1 July 2005, through a historic merger between the former University of Transkei, Eastern Cape Technikon and Border Technikon.
The establishment of WSU completed the restructuring of the South African Higher Education landscape in terms of the Higher Education Act No 101 of 1997 (as amended).
As a new comprehensive university, WSU offers a range of programmes from certificates to diplomas, degrees and postgraduate programmes.
Strategically located within the Eastern Cape Province, WSU straddles the vast urban and rural divide of the region. This creates a niche opportunity for the University that is rural development and urban renewal.

WSU has four campuses:
- Buffalo City
- Butterworth
- Komani
- Mthatha (Head Office).
WSU has 11 faculties with a student population of 24,000 and a staff complement of approximately 2,000.
The Faculty of Health Sciences was established in 1985 with the introduction of the MBChB programme.
At this time, the Department of Nursing, which was operating under the Faculty of Economic Sciences, was moved to the newly-established Faculty of Medicine.
The Department of Health Promotion was established in 1989 as a Department of Health Education.
Initially, the focus was on undergraduate education and training; postgraduate programmes were introduced thereafter.

To date, the Faculty offers a range of programmes from certificates to undergraduate diplomas, bachelor degrees, honours, postgraduate diplomas, masters, PhDs and MDs (Doctor of Medicine).
The Faculty has a Medical Library which has a Skills Laboratory and Computer Learning Centre with Telemedicine facilities.
In collaboration with the Eastern Cape Department of Health, the Faculty has established a Regional Training Centre (RTC) for HIV/Aids in 2004.
The Faculty has been recommended as a WHO collaborating centre for PBL/CBE.
It is a full and active member of The Network: Towards Unity for Health, and hosted the 1996 International Network Conference in Durban.

The Faculty is now recognised by its peers internationally as one of eight Medical Schools in the world that are champions of social accountability in health professions education.
These medical schools have formed an organisation called the Training for Health Equity Network (THEnet).
The Faculty of Health Sciences at WSU is the only Faculty of Health Sciences in Africa that is a member of this organisation.
The Faculty of Health Sciences has its Headquarters at Mthatha Campus but has an Academic Health Service Complex that spreads throughout the Eastern Cape Province including all levels of health facilities in the Eastern Cape Region (Mthatha), Central Region (East London) and Western Region (Port Elizabeth).

The teaching platform is further enhanced by the establishment of Health Resource Centres at Mthatha, East London, Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and Komani.
Health Resource Centres are of different sizes are currently being set in various health facilities in the province.
These Health Resource Centres are strategically built next to hospitals.
The purpose for establishing these Health Resource Centres is to create an academic environment throughout the Eastern Cape Province so that students are taught properly by joint staff that has access to library and internet facilities, to enable the three functions of an academic institution to be fulfilled adequately, that is, teaching & learning, research and service to the people.
The Faculty of Health Sciences is regarded as the flagship of this university. Its niche area is rural health, based on its context. This has made this Faculty to be committed to learning and teaching in the community from District Hospitals to Community Health Centres, Clinics and patient homes (that is, district learning complexes).

Problem-Based Learning is introduced in the first year and continues to be the main learning strategy up to the final year.
This is the only University in South Africa that offers small group Problem-Based Learning tutorials in clinical years.
Learning in the community (that is, Community-Based Learning) is also introduced early in the curriculum and the time spent in the community is progressively increased up to the final year.
Community-Based Learning in this Faculty is strengthened by the establishment of community partnerships around Mthatha and this led to the establishment of four purpose-built Community Health Centres around Mthatha.

The Clinical Associate Programme is modelled through these two powerful learning strategies, Problem-Based Learning and Community-Based Education.
More than 90% of the curriculum for the Clinical Associate Programme is taught in District Learning Complexes, which is where the graduates of this programme will practise after completion.