FCPHM(SA)

THE COLLEGES OF MEDICINE OF SOUTH AFRICA

Incorporated Association not for gain
Reg No 1955/000003/08

Examination for the Fellowship of the

College of Public Health Medicine of South Africa
18 August 2014
Paper 1

Long Questions

(3 hours)

Each question to be answered in a separate book (or books if more than one is required for the one answer). Candidates
must answer three of the following four questions.
All the questions carry equal marks. The use of personal hand-held calculators is permitted.

THREE OF THE FOUR QUESTIONS MUST BE ANSWERED

1

Adopting a Strategic Human Resource Management approach in the South African health
care sector encourages managers to focus on value-yielding goals of the organisation by
utilising a diverse and competent workforce. As a newly qualified Public Health Medicine
Practitioner appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer of large academic hospital
a)
Discuss the dimensions and possible sources of diversity in the workplace.
b)
Using a legislative and political regulatory framework, critically analyse the necessity
for diversity in the South African organisational context.
[33 ]

Describe your approach to undertaking a clinical audit of cervical screening services in a

district in South Africa.
[33 ]

The long-awaited white paper on National Health Insurance (NHI), along with a financing
paper by the National Treasury, is complete and will be tabled in Cabinet in the near future,
it was announced in the Budget Speech on Wednesday. In his speech, Finance Minister
Pravin Gordhan reiterated the two pillars upon which the 14-year implementation of NHI is
premised, namely, improvements in public sector health delivery and reducing the high cost
of private healthcare. Health24, May 2014.
You have been asked to deliver a discussion paper on the proposed NHI at a national
health systems conference. For your talk describe the rationale for, the underlying
principles, proposed organisation and financing of a NHI for South Africa. Discuss the main
benefits and risks associated with the plan to implement a NHI in South Africa.
[33 ]

We live in the era of smart phones. As a Public Health Specialist, computerised technology
is often regarded as a stethoscope in our field of medicine. Outline at least five uses of
smart phones in the public health arena. Discuss 5 advantages and 5 disadvantages on the
use of smart phones in the public health arena. Make recommendations on how these
disadvantages can be overcome.
[33 ]

FCPHM(SA)

THE COLLEGES OF MEDICINE OF SOUTH AFRICA

Incorporated Association not for gain
Reg No 1955/000003/08

Examination for the Fellowship of the

College of Public Health Medicine of South Africa
20 August 2014
Paper 3

Short questions

(3 hours)

All questions are to be answered. Each question to be answered in a separate book (or books if more than one is
required for the one answer). The use of personal handheld calculators is permitted.

An employee is allegedly drunk on duty. Describe the steps that would have to be followed
in investigating this matter.
[10]

Briefly discuss the merits/advantages/benefits of implementing a formal mentoring program

in your institution.
[10]

Discuss the possible uses of m-health technology in the management of non-communicable

diseases in South Africa.
[10]

The benefits of the Gene Xpert in screening and diagnosing Pulmonary Tuberculosis is well
documented, however sputum smear examination for Mycobacterium tuberculosis
organisms, using light microscopy, is still used for the diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis
in the national tuberculosis control programme in South Africa. List the advantages and
disadvantages of sputum smear examination.
[10]

Health Information systems are a critical component of the WHO health systems framework.
In order to roll out the National Health Insurance, it is crucial for the public health sector to
strengthen and improve its health information systems.
a)
Define a health information system and its components.
(3)
b)
From a public health medicine perspective, indicate the relevance of good Health
information systems.
(3)
c)
Indicate four limitations and/or challenges of the current District Health Information
system.
(4)
[10]

The National Development Plan 2030 highlighted the challenges of climate change in South
Africa. As a consultant on environmental health to urban local government, provide a
summary for local government councillors of the main health implications of climate change,
and strategies to prevent and mitigate the effects of climate change on the health of the
communities they serve.
[10]

PTO/Page 2 Question 7

-27

Discuss the different methods for calculating QALYs and the advantages and disadvantages
of each method.
[10]

Community outreach teams are an important component of the Primary Health Care reengineering strategy in South Africa. Discuss the proposed roles and functions of these
community outreach teams, and discuss the main human resource challenges of establishing
such outreach teams.
[10]

Good governance is critical in achieving health for all. Discuss the characteristics of good
governance.
[10]

10

There are numerous classifications of zoonoses. Aetiologically zoonoses may be classified

according to their aetiology viz viruses, bacteria, ricketssia, fungi, protozoa, helminths and
arthropods. Define the term zoonoses and then provide the epidemiological classification of
zoonoses and give an example of each.
[10]