Vella Nyoni
LIMPOPO – Due to the transformation mechanisms of the present government, many students from poor and child-headed households now have access to higher education.
This is why 110 students were selected from the various districts in Limpopo to study medicine in Cuba, Sekhukhune (33), Waterberg (24), Vhembe (19), Capricorn (17) and Mopani (17).
The Limpopo MEC for health, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, cautioned the students awarded scholarships to study medicine in Cuba, to shun alcohol abuse and pregnancy because they will be dismissed with immediate effect.
The warning was loud and clear to students and it was also supported by parents who accompanied their children during the gala dinner at Bolivia Lodge in Polokwane last Thursday evening to send off the students.
“This scholarship is the fruits of the Bi-National Agreement between South Africa and Cuba signed by the late President Nelson Mandela and President Fidel Castro to focus on the shortage of skills in South Africa.
“The RSA/Cuba medical programme is one of the national strategies developed to strengthen and create capacity to ensure the public health sector has an adequate and competent workforce to sustain the health system.
“The bilateral agreement was signed in 1996 on cooperation in the field of health. This is a national strategy to expand opportunities to young South Africans from destitute families to be recruited and trained in Cuba in the field of medicine,” Ramathuba said.
“Limpopo Department of Health has participated in this RSA/Cuba Scholarship since 1999. Exco approved R25 Million for the 110 students who left the country in January 2014 to pursue their studies in Cuba.
“This allocation does not cater for the 2014/15 intake as announced in February last year. This programme was initiated due to structural failures by South Africa’s eight medical faculties to produce a sufficient number of doctors for the size of the population – doctors willing to work in the public sector and in rural areas where the need is greatest.
“Currently the medical schools in South Africa produce roughly 1 200 doctors annually. Since the 1990s an increase in the burden, largely as a result of the high HIV-Aids infection rate together with the loss of qualified doctors to developed countries, has exacerbated the shortage of doctors.
“Since the inception of the SA-Cuba Health Agreement which sees students selected from rural areas to study for five years in Cuba, returning to South Africa for an 18-month period of tuition and to write their final examinations, nearly 246 doctors have been produced, specifically for the South African rural public health sector by 2011.
“In Limpopo alone a total of 450 students were awarded scholarships to study medicine in Cuba since 1999. A total of 295 are currently in Cuba for training,” Ramathuba said proudly.
Penilope Chauke from Mokopane is one of the students selected to study in Cuba and she said she was excited about going abroad to study medicine.
“I am very excited because I have always wanted to be a doctor. I am grateful to the Department of Health for making my dream come true,” said Chauke.
Jennifer Mfati who hails from Lephalale said she feels positive.
“I feel happy that everything I have been waiting for is finally happening. I will make my country and family proud. I am nervous, but more than anything, I am excited,” said Mfati.
Sammy Tlou, from Musina, can’t help but feel proud to be chosen. “I feel honoured to have been chosen for this once in a lifetime opportunity. Medicine is something I have always wanted to do. It will obviously be a different culture and environment, but I feel good about it,” said Tlou.
