Fourteen Cuban trained doctors will tomorrow graduate at the University of Limpopo, Medunsa Campus and immediately become available for community service after seven years of intensive study and training. Five years of studying was spent in Cuba and the rest at the University of Limpopo. The doctors were trained through the South African/Cuban Medical Programme, which began in 1998.
The availability of these doctors will be of great assistance in rural communities where delivery of health is inferior as compared to urban areas.
Five of the doctors will serve the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, while Bojanala Platinum District, Dr Ruth Segomotse Mompati and Ngaka Modiri will each get three doctors.
MEC for Health and Social Development in the North West province, Rebecca Kasienyane has welcomed the availability of these doctors.
“Through the South African/Cuban Medical Programme more and more medical professionals become available and this slowly but surely reduces doctor patient contact in hospitals mainly serving rural communities. Medical profession is an essential skill and one cannot ask for more if doctors become available.
“We continue to see a steady progress in addressing related challenges of scares skills and training of health professionals,” says Kasienyane.
The Department has sent 116 young people to study medicine in Cuba since the inception of the programme in 1998 and more than fifty medical professionals available including the ones to graduate.
Enquiries:
Tebogo Lekgethwane
Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: 018 387 5628
Cell: 0829299958/0781700037
E-mail: tlekgethwane@nwpg.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Health and Social Development, North West Provincial Government
2 July 2009
