Cuba cure in doctor shortage

15 Jun 2012
15 Jun 2012

Cape Argus
AM Edition, p.10
8 June 2012

SA to Cuba: Deputy Health Minister Gwen Ramokgopa said SA will increase the number of medical students it sends to Cuba from 80 a year to 1000 in the next five years.

The SA-Cuba Health Co-operation programme seeks to address the shortage of doctors in our country. Speaking at UCT during its centenary celebrations of the Faculty of Health Sciences this week, Ramakgopa said an agreement that was signed recently by the health ministry with Cuban officials would not only increase the number of student doctors SA sent to that country, but it would also allow the recruitment of Cuban doctors and specialists to work here.

Ramakgopa said while SA universities such as UCT continued to play an 'excellent role' in producing the country's well-trained doctors, the reality was that the numbers were not even close to meeting demand.