There will be more medical heroes in South Africa thanks to a new medical school, set to be the 11th in our country.
North West, South Africa (29 April 2025) — South Africa’s future will have more medical heroes and leaders thanks to the news of a new medical school set to open its doors in the North West.
North-West University’s medical school officially received its name earlier this month as one that not only honours one of South Africa’s greatest leaders but also hopes to effect the lessons that said late legend graced our country with.
North-West University proudly shared that the new medical school is named after Archbishop Desmond Tutu and has been crowned the NWU Desmond Tutu School of Medicine.
“This is not just a name, it’s a commitment to reimagine medical education in service of our communities and country,” NWU said.
Dr Mamphela Ramphele emphasised this sentiment, stating:
“It is the obligation of the NWU Desmond Tutu School of Medicine to live up to the values of ubuntu, and it is the responsibility of its students to meet the high standards that Desmond Tutu would have approved of.”
In South Africa, our healthcare system sorely needs values like the above in tandem with more educational institutions to drive them, and hopes are high that the new medical facility will live up to its promises.
The current doctor-to-patient ratio in South Africa is 0.31 doctors per 1000 people, as highlighted by Dr Ann Mokgokong. The nurse-to-patient ratio is 4.59 nurses per 1000 patients.
As such, the NWU Desmond Tutu School of Medicine comes at a critical time.
The school is set to facilitate undergraduate and postgraduate training as well as research and engaged scholarship, which speaks to community support and strengthening health systems in the province.
It will welcome its first students in 2028.
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