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Termination
of Cuban doctors' contracts could close
Cradock Hospital
Luvuyo Mjekula. Grahamstown.
East Cape News. November 11, 2003.
AllAfrica.com.
Residents of Cradock in the Eastern Cape
yesterday marched to the Cradock hospital
demanding the Eastern Cape department of
health reverse its decision to terminate
the contracts of two Cuban doctors who have
applied for South African citizenship.
Spokesperson for the residents Vusumzi
Jam-jam said they had become concerned after
they heard that the two Cuban doctors were
to lose their jobs.
Jam-jam said the residents approached the
hospital management who confirmed that the
doctors might be fired leading to the possible
closure of the hospital.
Jam-jam said: "When we heard that
not only might we lose two dedicated doctors
but the hospital as well we decided to mobilise
people because we can't afford to pay private
doctors." The residents handed a list
of grievances to hospital manager Vuyisile
Silwana who said he would pass theM on to
the provincial department.
The two doctors Andres Delvalle and Roverto
Gonzalez-Hernandez confirmed that they had
received letters on October 26 informing
them that their contracts would be terminated
on November 30.
However, they said they were informed a
week later that the decision to terminate
their contract had been withdrawn pending
evaluation.
Dr Delvalle said there was nothing in their
contracts stating they could not apply for
South African citizenship.
Eastern Cape health department spokesperson
Sizwe Kupelo said the department was not
against the doctors applying for citizenship.
However, he said they needed to follow the
correct procedures. "They need to go
back to Cuba and reapply for citizenship,"
he said.
He denied the hospital would close down
if the two doctors were deported to Cuba.
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