Department of Health working on adopting Cuban medicine curriculum in SA

Following years of backlash for taking SA medical students to study in Cuba at an alleged double the cost of local medical training the National Department of Health (NDoH) said they were working on gradually adopting the Cuban medicine curriculum to SA’s medical universities and colleges.

Ten medical students leave for Cuba

Gauteng MEC for Health Ms Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko yesterday bid farewell to 10 medical students who will be leaving for Cuba to study medicine under the Nelson Mandela Fidel Castro Medical Training Programme.

Selection panellist and Dean of School of Medicine at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Prof Risenga Chauke, congratulated the top ten, and said while the program was amazing for students he was encouraged to hear that “finally the minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla and deputy Dr Sibongiseni Maxwell Dhlomo, were planning to bring this curriculum home”.

The NDoH’s Foster Mohale confirmed Chauke’s statement and said while he was not aware of the progress; the department was working on having many aspects of the Cuban curriculum to SA.

“Instead of sending more students that side, we want to bring the lecturers this side, but must also involve the department of higher education, because we don’t own universities,” he said.

Mohale said the cost of having the curriculum, modules and lecturers would be very minimal compared to taking the students to Cuba like they have been for more than 22 years.

Sama says idea could work

The South African Medical Association (Sama) said the idea would only work if the department is willing to tailor the Cuban curriculum for the SA system, and only take some parts of the curriculum.

“There’s nothing wrong with the SA curriculum just that it’s more hostic centric, we actually need to make it more community orientated,” she said.

“But we cannot have the exact same curriculum as Cuba because their health care is different, but I agree that it is rather important to strengthen our curriculum and make it less hostic centric, rather taking these rigorous amounts of money to educate a few outside the country.”

“The idea does not make financial sense so it would be good if they can stay in SA and strengthen our universities and training hospital facilities to accommodate more students in future than sending them outside the country.”

DA’s health spokesperson Jack Bloom in the Gauteng provincial legislature has previously slammed the Gauteng government and said the money would be better spent “expanding training at the three medical schools in Gauteng rather than paying an exorbitant amount for overseas training that still requires an extra year of local training.”

Number of South Africans decreasing

Meanwhile the number of Gauteng students studying medicine in Cuba has once more declined from 264 in 2019, 114 in 2020, 25 in 2021 and now ten this year.

When asked why the numbers had reduced so drastically, Gauteng health department spokesperson Motalatale Modiba said the controversial programme was costly, and the department wanted to make sure they were able to fully cover the costs without hesitation.

MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko also congratulated the students and said Cuba has one of the world’s highest number of doctors per capita and was renowned for its focus on prevention, community-oriented primary health care and preparedness to fight epidemics.

“They have one of the most proactive healthcare systems in the world, and that is what I want for Gauteng and the country at large,” she added.

She also said the students would be finalising their medical studies with SA universities to help them better understand the country’s system and noted that the department would assist the students to find employment following the programme.

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