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Eastern Cape Health Department welcomes Cuban Doctors
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Speeches and Media Releases
 Health

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MEDIA RELEASE
 26 JANUARY 2001

EASTERN CAPE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WELCOMES CUBAN DOCTORS

The Cuba and South Africa Government to Government Agreement will tomorrow (Saturday, January 27 2001) deliver 27 Cuban doctors to the 
Province of the Eastern Cape.

These doctors will be joining other Cuban doctors who have been in the province for a number of years. To date 84 doctors are in the 
province and are deployed mostly in rural areas.

Out of the 27 doctors, 12 will be deployed to the various District Hospitals and the other 15 to lectureship at the University of Transkei.

The Province of the Eastern Cape is currently experiencing a shortage of doctors. As you are aware the Eastern Cape, especially the former 
Transkei area is rural and among other things lacks infrustructural development. Apart from being rural the majority of the population is 
concentrated in these areas. Consequently many of our hospitals are situated in remote areas.

Many South African doctors especially the young graduates are unwilling to work in rural areas. At present we have Medical doctors – 6/10 
000 nationally whereas in EC we have 1/10 000. Most of the doctors who work in these areas are foreign doctors, the majority being the 
Cuban and Asian doctors. In view of this situation the Eastern Cape Department of Health is currently working on short-term and long-term 
strategies to deploy doctors in these hospitals.

* Short-term: the deployment of Community Service doctors.

* Medium-term: The department is negotiating with private doctors to do sessions in these hospitals. Once there is a contractual agreement 
they will be able to do sessions at Isilimela before the end of this year.

* Long-term: The Department has set aside an amount of money that will be used to train students from rural areas so that they can come 
back and serve the community. However, this strategy has to be linked to the admission policies of the South African Tertiary Medical 
Schools. In most cases they are not accepted because they are considered not to be academically qualified, without taking into 
consideration the conditions that they had to study. Apart from this fund the Department has also sent a second group of 10 students to 
study medicine in Cuba. These students have been drawn from the ranks of the underprivileged from the rural areas. At present 19 students 
are doing medicine in Cuba. On completion of their studies they will be deployed in these hospitals.

Apart from these strategies the Department is also working hard to address the issue of incentives for doctors working in these areas. 
These include amongst other things providing adequate accommodation and other facilities such as communication so that they can have access 
to the latest information and many more.

Arrival : 14h00 (East London Airport)
 Welcome : 16h00 (Kennaway Hotel – East London)

The welcoming address will be done by MEC Dr Bevan Goqwana.

Issued by Joe Mjoli
Enquiries 040 635 2166 / 082 782 4795

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