Traditional healer (Sangoma) medical certificates – a sensitive issue where employers need to tread carefully
Traditional healer (Sangoma) medical certificates The issue of medical certificates that come from traditional healers is a sensitive issue that needs employers to tread carefully. Legal
Related Tag: BEE Advisors
- Traditional Health Practitioners Act 22 of 2007
- Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997
Resource: Traditional Health Practitioners Act
Let’s first determine who can issue out a valid medical certificate:- A Medical practitioner can issue out a valid medical if they are registered with the health professions councils of South Africa
- A Dentist can issue out a valid medical certificate if they are registered with the health professions councils of South Africa
- A Psychologist (Clinical, Educational and Counseling with Masters Degree) can issue out a valid medical certificate if they are registered with the health professions councils of South Africa
- A Traditional healer can issue out a valid medical certificate if they are registered with the Traditional Health Practitioners Council of South Africa.
- Health practitioner’s name, address and qualifications
- Employee name and surname
- Date and time of examination
- Whether the certificate is based on the health practitioner’s personal observations or just according to the employee’s observation and that could still be based on suitable medical grounds
- Illness description, with the employee’s consent, should the employee not agree, and then the health practitioner just states that it’s his/her opinion that the employee is not fit for work.
- Time period that the employee is booked off.
- If the employee is completely or only partially unable to do his duties.
- The health practitioner must personally sign or initial the original and print his name next to it in capital letters
- The health practitioner must give the patient a short factual report if he asks for one.
