Gauteng health department faces backlash for Cuban doctor hiring

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has criticised the regional department of health for its hiring of Cuban doctors amid high unemployment among local doctors.

DA shadow MEC for health Jack Bloom said the country had unemployed doctors who should be given preference.

“It is outrageous that we are employing Cuban doctors instead of qualified local doctors,” he said.

“The Gauteng health department is disregarding local doctors in favour of Cuban doctors, who can easily be replaced.

‘They should cancel all contracts’

“They should cancel all their contracts.”

In a written response to questions raised by the DA in the Gauteng Legislature, health and wellness MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko said the provincial government was spending R14 million a year on 11 Cuban doctors.

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The Cubans worked at five facilities in the province and their annual pay packages ranged from R1.2 million to R1.64 million.

According to Bloom, Nkomo-Ralehoko said the doctors were employed as part of a SA-Cuban agreement and had treaty visas to live and work in the country.

Outcry unjustified

Kgosietsile Letlape, president of the Africa Medical Association, and former chair of the South African Medical Association, said the DA’s outcry was unjustified.

“We knew there have been Cubans that have been the ones willing to serve our people in rural areas when we as South Africans were not prepared to go there.

“And if they have proper employment contracts within the salary scales of public service, and they are delivering … then the DA has a problem,” he said.

Watch Health Minister Joe Phaahla address SA’s doctor unemployment crisis:

Letlape said the challenges in the health sector were centred around mismanagement, which had led to the department having no money to fund posts.

ALSO READ: Cubans don’t have the answers, ANC

“The challenges are because of misspent budgets in the health sector.

“It’s not that there are too many doctors – in fact, we still don’t have enough doctors in the public health care system – but we have no money to pay them.”

Unemployed doctors and other health workers marched to the Union Buildings in February, calling for the Presidency to intervene in the ongoing financial problems facing the health sector.

Increase health budget

One of their main demands was for the health budget to be increased to absorb about 800 medical professionals.

Dineo Moloi, a medical doctor from the University of Pretoria who completed her community service at Sebokeng Hospital in 2023, said it was appalling to think there were medical professionals at home while the health care system was in dire need of their skills.

“It’s saddening and disheartening because we went to school for so many years, but we are now sitting home with experience and knowledge we know would be a great service to the country’s dire state of public hospitals.”

ALSO READ: President honours Cubans who died on African soil