Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa

ICSP Online (Internship Community Service Programme) is part of an initiative to improve the application and management process for placing interns and community service professionals in health facilities.  As part of this new initiative, the Department of Health has updated its guidelines for placing interns and comserves. This update covers some of the frequently asked questions we are receiving around the guidelines.

Which email should I use to get help?

All questions and system problems should be emailed to icsp@dhmis.org. Please done use any other address– we can only track your query and our response through our ticketing system linked to the ICSP email. Your email is logged on the system and you will be issued with a ‘ticket’. A ICSP helpdesk official will address system problems or questions as soon as possible.

Browser problems

Ensure that you have the latest software updates installed when using the system. Chrome and Firefox browsers work best. Internet explorer is not recommended.

Invalid ID or ID already in use error message

This error message usually happens when you created more than one account and try to register again. Email icsp@dhmis.org to remove the duplicate account.

Changes to the five choice options

The system is being updated to allow the five choices to be in any order of preference. You are still required to choose from three different provinces– unless you are a provincial bursary holder.

For provincial bursars, you are still required to select all five choices from the province holding your bursary.

Mid-year Applications: The application deadline has been extended to 25 June 2016 to allow you to change the order of preference. Please login and update your applications from 20 June 2016 onwards, if needed.

Special Considerations and Personal Considerations

There are only two special consideration categories, namely medical and legal.

Any other personal motivations fall under personal considerations. This includes religious, marital status, family responsibilities and other similar considerations an applicant would like to put forward. Note that a personal consideration motivation must be rational and compelling. Provinces may verify the details provided, which could include home visits. The department will take reasonable steps to assist, but that does not imply that a personal consideration will be successful.

Provinces will review all personal consideration motivations and make recommendations to the National ICSP Committee. This committee will moderate and endorse the recommendations before placements are confirmed.

Mid-year Applications: The system update for personal considerations will not be completed for the 25 June 2017 deadline. Please email any personal consideration motivations to icsp@dhmis.org . Applicants for 2017 placements MUST ONLY use the online system to upload their motivations. 

Personal considerations and reasonable choices

A satisfactory placement is more likely if the applicant starts by making a wide  range of reasonable choices to support their request. While the department will try to assist with endorsed motivations, it cannot make any personal consideration a special designated group.

When can we see which posts are available?

The National Department will publish a full list of facilities and posts on www.health.gov.za between 23 June and 4 July 2017. Once published the department will use its official Twitter and Facebook accounts to let everyone know the list is available. Once it is published, stakeholders wanting Excel spreadsheets of the list can email icsp@dhmis.org.

More communication coming soon

Initial communication around the ICSP Online was done via social media as well as letters to faculties and colleges. However, more communication is needed. Therefore, the national department will be contacting faculties and other stakeholders to attend a web seminar within the next week to explain the new guidelines, process as well as to answer any questions. Professional associations and other representative groups will also assist the department in sharing information.

I did not get my pin by email

The system technicians are working on the problem with pin forwarding via emails. Keep in mind that you can use your identity or passport number as a pin in the meantime.

Medical internship placements, the quota system and bursaries

There is no change to the use of the quota system to distribute medical interns from different universities to other provinces. Where there is more than one applicant for post, a randomised placement will be made using the same cascade as for community service. This means, endorsed special considerations will be placed first, then endorsed personal considerations, followed by the remaining applications. Remember, the use of randomisation is only for a specific post in a specific facility.

Provincial bursary holders may not necessarily be placed in their bursary province during their internship, however, when doing community service bursars can only apply for posts in their bursary province. Interns should keep this in mind to avoid problems later.

Changes effecting international students

Given the extreme financial constraints within provinces, internship and community service posts are not always sufficient to meet the applications received in specific occupations. Therefore, the department cannot place certain international students in internship posts. These include students that can return to their countries of origin to perform their internships. Community service posts will not be available to international students who wish to remain in South Africa.

Note, foreigners resident in South Africa who are refugees or asylum seekers will be placed in available internship and community service posts.

Endorsement letters for permits will not be issued to international students who cannot be placed for internships