North-West University unveils the new name of their medical school

The North-West University has announced that its soon-to-be-established medical school will be named after the late archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The official naming ceremony took place on Tuesday at the Capital on the Park Hotel in Sandton.

The name was unveiled by Dr Anna Mokgokong, Chancellor of the NWU, Bert Sorgdrager, Chairperson of the NWU Council, Prof Bismark Tyobeka, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the NWU and Dr Mamphela Ramphele, Chairperson of the Archbishop Desmond Tutu IP Trust.

Others in attendance included Deputy Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla, Premier of the North West Province Lazarus Mokgosi, and various bishops of the Anglican Church.

Archbishop Tutu’s legacy

Ramphele told those in attendance of Archbishop Tutu’s early wish to become a doctor before receiving a higher calling, highlighting that it is fitting that “Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s name will now live on in every graduate of the NWU Desmond Tutu School of Medicine.”

She also spoke of his unwavering commitment to the spirit of ubuntu.

“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.”

NWU Chairperson of Council, Bert Sorgdrager, shared that the decision to name the medical school in honour of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate was not only made to recognise Archbishop Tutu’s lifelong contributions to the country, but to also create an enduring connection between his legacy and the values, character, and graduate attributes the university seeks to instil in future graduates of the NWU Desmond Tutu School of Medicine.

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11^th medical school in South Africa

The NWU Desmond Tutu School of Medicine is set to be the 11th medical school in South Africa. This project is a collaborative effort between the NWU, the North West Department of Health, and private sector stakeholders.

Amongst other things, it aims to address the severe shortage of healthcare practitioners in the North-West province, while providing a base for the growth of the country’s medical expertise.

What the school aims to address

Mokgokong highlighted South Africa’s current doctor-to-patient ratio, which currently stands at approximately 0.31 doctors per 1,000 people, and a nurse-to-patient ratio of about 4.59 nurses per 1,000.

She further indicated that these, among other urgent healthcare challenges, are what the NWU Desmond Tutu School of Medicine aims to address.

“We are not merely building a school of bricks and mortar, we are laying the foundation for something much greater and more enduring.

“Today we open doors that will never close. Doors of opportunity, healing, compassion, and transformation. That is also why we have chosen the name of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

“He was not only a man of faith and moral courage, but also a fierce advocate for justice, equality, and human dignity. He understood, better than most, that the essence of humanity lies in our capacity to care, to heal, and to uplift one another.

“His life’s work taught us that no barrier is too great, no injustice too entrenched, and no dream too distant to be realised through perseverance and unity.”

The first intake for the NWU Desmond Tutu School of Medicine is scheduled for 2028.