10 February 2016 Volume :4 Issue :1

Two HPCSA Appointments from College of Health Sciences

Dr Ahmed Muslim and Professor Basil Pillay.

Two UKZN academics were recently appointed to serve on the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) for a five-year period ending in 2020.

They are Professor Basil Pillay, who was appointed as the Chairperson of the Professional Board for Psychology, and Dr Ahmed Muslim, appointed Chairperson for the Professional Board for Dental Therapy and Oral Hygiene.

Pillay Heads the School of Nursing and Public Health’s Department of Behavioural Medicine and is Chief Clinical Psychologist for Hospital Services in KwaZulu-Natal.

He is a member of several national and international bodies, represents his Discipline on national and international bodies and serves on several scientific committees. President of the Psychological Society of South Africa from 2006 to 2009, he is a Chartered Psychologist and Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS).

A supervisor of several PhD students, Pillay’s research interests include: stress and trauma, clinical neuropsychology and forensic psychology.

Muslim was previously co-opted to the Professional Board for Dental Therapy and Oral Hygiene, and has made valuable contributions to dental education through his role in conducting accreditation visits at various institutions.

The Dentistry Lecturer, also recently appointed as the Council Chairperson for the Continuous Professional Development Committee, said academia played a leading role in guiding and regulating the professions as very often academics were the link between industry and the community.

‘In fulfilling this role, I am contributing to community health by ensuring that the most-disadvantaged are not denied ethical, cost-effective, appropriate and accessible health care. This is a legacy that I as a UKZN academic wish to leave for the greater community.’

Lunga Memela 

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