MEC welcomes healthcare interns

"We are appealing to you to work with us to give our people the respect and dignity they deserve. Always remember that health is a human right," he said.

Dhlomo was speaking at an event to welcome the 425 community service officers and interns placed in the province in 2012 to complete their training.

"We are glad to have you here and hope that you will serve our sick and frail with diligence and utmost care as this is a profession that puts to the test your individual values of respect, dignity, care, passion and compassion," he said.

He said the officers and interns would be spread across the province to serve people in multiple disciplines, including medical officers, radiographers, physiotherapists, pharmacists, environmental health practitioners, occupational therapists, dieticians, audio and speech therapists and physiotherapists.

The MEC said the interns should make their parents and the country proud.

The province has also reached an agreement with Cuba to train South African medical students who could not secure space at South African universities. This is aimed at increasing the number of doctors produced by South Africa.

Dhlomo said every year many students' dreams of studying medicine were dashed when universities rejected their applications due to limited space.

"This opportunity will ensure that those students ... realise their dreams and come back to serve the people of this province," he said.