|
Northern
Cape Students to Study Medicine in Cuba
René-Jean Van Der Berg,
Pretoria. BuaNews (Pretoria). August 25, 2003,
AllAfrica.com.
Ten students from previously disadvantaged areas
in the Northern Cape have been chosen to study
medicine in Cuba.
The students left for Cuba last night, after
the provincial health department held a function
to see them off.
This follows South Africa's signing of a co-operation
agreement with Cuba a few years ago, which has
already seen hundreds of Cuban doctors deployed
to relieve the shortage in the public health system
in the country.
Addressing the students on Saturday, health MEC
Dipuo Peters said she had faith in the students
and believed they would come back home in 2006,
as qualified doctors.
'The government of South Africa decided that
changes needed in South Africa should be long
lasting. Together with the Cuban government they
decided to give scholarships to students wanting
to study in the medical profession,' she said.
The students would spend their first 12 months
in Cuba, learning the country's spoken language
- Spanish.
Speaking on behalf of Premier Manne Dipico who
was unable to attend the function, Ms Peters pleaded
to the students to study hard and not to lose
focus as the main aim was for them to come back
to serve their community.
'These students won't only learn about medicine,
but will also do life and leadership skills as
well as philosophy,' she explained.
Doctor Siza, a Cuban doctor currently practicing
at the Kimberley Hospital Complex, delivered a
brief insight into the Cuban governmental structure.
He said Cuba's economy was not as good as South
Africa's but the initiative of exchanging students
was a joint venture between the two countries
and would go a long way to fight poverty.
|
