The country's public health services is set to receive yet another human resources boost with the graduation on Wednesday of 40 students as part of South Africa-Cuba Health Cooperation Agreement. The graduation ceremony will take place at the University of Cape Town on Wednesday, 7 July.
The SA-Cuba programme was initiated in the mid-1990s as part of efforts to address the major human resources shortages in the country's public health sector within the context of the burden of diseases and the poaching of health workforce by developed countries.
The programme has so far been successful, producing 246 medical doctors currently employed in different health facilities throughout the country. The candidates for the programme are largely drawn from rural, under-serviced areas and upon completing their training, the graduates are placed in outlying rural areas as part of ensuring healthcare services in such areas. A total of 388 students are still undergoing training in three different medical schools in Cuba including those who are doing Spanish tuition at the language institute.
This programme (SA-Cuba training) forms part of the various other interventions that the Department of Health is implementing to respond to the challenges facing the public health sector in the country. Other initiatives that the Department has in place include improving the working conditions for healthcare workers as demonstrated by the Occupation Specific Dispensation and the 10 Point Programme that the Department has adopted as part of overhauling the country's public health system.
At the graduation ceremony on Wednesday, health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi accompanied by academics among others will deliver his keynote address detailing the progress of the programme, the challenges being encountered and measures his department has in place to address these challenges.
Members of the media are invited to cover this event scheduled to take place as follows:
Date: 7 July 2010
Venue: University of Cape Town (Jameson Hall), Upper Campus
Time: 10h00
A brief background for media purposes
Brief background of the SA-Cuba Health Cooperation Agreement
This programme was conceived in the mid-1990’s as an attempt to address the serious challenges in the production of medical doctors. There was a view that the South African medical schools were not yet producing reasonable numbers of black medical doctors in particular within the context the country’s health demands.
The cooperation in the health field between South Africa and Cuba enabled South Africa to recruit doctors from Cuba whilst also sending young aspirant students from poor communities for medical training in Cuban universities. The recruitment of medical doctors from Cuba has since ceased however, the training of South African medical students in Cuba continues to date.
Experience over the past 13 years
The training programme has been successful producing two hundred and forty six (246) medical doctors who are now deployed in different health facilities. Three hundred eighty eight (388) students are still undergoing training in the 3 different medical schools in Cuba including those who are doing Spanish tuition at language institute. Those students who have passed their final year and done their internship and community service have performed very well in terms of health service delivery.
The programme of recruiting Cuban medical doctors to work in South African hospitals was terminated due to the high number of doctors that defected and therefore opted out of the programme. There are however some Cuban doctors that are still working in South Africa under the auspices of the bilateral programme.
In addition to the above programmes there are Cuban academics that are working at the Walter Sisulu University in the Faculty of Health Sciences. These academics get replaced on a regular basis in line with the conditions of the agreement.
As earlier indicated the purpose of the workshop was to address academic issues between the South African and Cuban medical universities. Presentations were made of the Cuban medical curriculum and those of the different South African universities represented in the delegation.
The major observations were as follows:
i. In Cuba only one curriculum is offered by all the medical universities whilst in South Africa each medical school has its own curriculum but all have to satisfy the accreditation requirements as set by the Health Professions Council of South Africa
ii. Cuban medical education is under complete control of the Ministry of Public Health with relations with the Ministry of Education, which sets the standards
iii. South African medical education is guided by several entities that fall within and between the Department of Higher Education and Training and the Department of Health
iv. The major disciplines in undergraduate training are largely similar between the two medical education systems
v. A major difference is the levels at which some subjects are introduced and what students are or are not allowed to do during their training.
vi. The Cuban health system is prevention oriented whilst the South African system is curative oriented.
vii. Both countries utilise the Primary Health Care system as an approach to addressing public health challenges, however the Cuban PHC is largely medical doctor based (an effect of over-production) whilst the South African system is largely based on the nursing profession.
Record of understanding of the first academic workshop of the South Africa-Cuba medical universities
The first academic workshop between the South African and Cuban medical universities took place from 21 to 28 March 2010. The workshop participants included government officials from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Higher Education and Training in South Africa, participating Cuban Medical Universities, the Ministry of Public Health in Cuba and the Faculties of Health Sciences (Medical Schools) of South African universities and universities in Cuba that participate in the training of South African students. The discussions took place in Cienfuegos Medical School, Cuba.
The purpose of the workshop was:
a. To explore ways of strengthening the training programme of South African students in Cuba
b. To exchange information and ideas about the medical curriculum that is provided in South Africa and in Cuba
c. To highlight and address the challenges that have been experienced in the programme
The workshop discussed the programme’s progress over the past 13 years and identified its positive aspects whilst highlighting the challenges that have been experienced in the programme. The universities shared information on the curriculum and training methods that are followed in each country. Information was also given on the regulatory requirements for the successful registration of the students upon successful completion of their studies.
Envisaged Interventions to resolve the problems
In order to improve this cooperation programme, the following are steps that have been taken and or are being planned:
a. The orientation programme for the students who are going to commence studies in Cuba has been reviewed. Included in this orientation is the preparation of students on life in Cuba and creation of an understanding of the similarities and differences between the two health systems. The other issue is an emphasis of what is expected of them when they undergo their studies in Cuba.
b. The recruitment and selection process is being reviewed and stricter measures will be introduced to eliminate the problems that have been experienced especially where students who do not qualify have previously been irregularly accepted.
c. A mechanism to reciprocate the goodwill that Cuba has shown by training the South African students.
d. Exploration of other areas to expand the cooperation in the health field between Cuba and South Africa.
For more information please contact:
Fidel Hadebe
Tel: 012 395 8493
Cell: 079 517 3333
