Department of Health Defends Spending R83 Million a Year on Cuban Doctors
- The Department of Health has defended the expenditure of R83 million of taxpayers' money on Cuban doctors
- Acting Health Minister Mmamaoloko Kubayi-Ngubane says that South Africa has signed a government-to-government agreement with Cuba
- The Gauteng Department of Health has spent R32 million on Cuban doctors since brought to South Africa to assist with the coronavirus pandemic
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The Department of Health has justified the R83 million a year spent on Cuban medical brigades in the country since the beginning of Covid-19 pandemic last year.
According to IOL, acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said in a written response to parliamentary questions that the 119 Cuban doctors had specialised skills that are limited in South Africa.
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In addition, Kubayi-Ngubane stated that the Department of Health had signed a government-to-government agreement with Cuba that included work exchange and/or employment agreements.
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This comes after Democratic Alliance MPs asked a number of ministers whether their departments had signed any work exchange and or employment agreements with Cuba from 2010/11 to date.
Amongst other things, they a detailed report on the work each Cuban national had performed and the total cost of employment.
Kubayi-Ngubane stated that from 2001 until 2019, a group of Cuban medical doctors were recruited to boost health services in remote and underserved areas.
“The group currently consists of 106 medical professional who are still performing medical duties in the country under the agreement,” she said.
According to New24, the Gauteng Department of Health had spent R32 million on Cuban doctors for a year of services during the Covid-19 pandemic. The costs included money for remuneration, accommodation and transport.
The department said that the Cuban doctors helped the department in an advisory capacity as health data and public health specialists and with patient consultations and total healthcare delivery.
Covid 19 Update: 100 000 vaccines administered in a day, over 16k new cases reported
Briefly News recently reported that the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said that a total of 16 078 new Covid-19 cases were identified in South Africa on Thursday. This is lower than Wednesday's 17 493 cases recorded in 24 hours.
The NICD stated that the total number of lab-confirmed cases are now sitting on 1 877 143 with a 24.5% positivity rate. Gauteng is still the hardest hit province in the country as it recorded 9 512 cases. The Western Cape recorded 1 912 new cases.
Vaccinations have finally crossed the 100 000 mark in South Arica with 115 016 new vaccines reported in the last day.
News24 reported that 148 Covid-19 deaths which is much lower compared to 166 that was reported on Wednesday. This brings the number of fatalities 59 406 to date. The number of tests conducted is 12 769 052 this includes both the public and private sectors.
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Source: Briefly News
