Staff Reporter
At least 17 of the medical specialists from Cuba who arrived in the country on Monday morning have been allocated to the Free State where they will work alongside their South African counterparts in the fight to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said this during a televised height-level technical briefing on the work being done by the government around COVID-19.
“We have gone out to seek assistance from Cuba and China,” he said.
“It’s in this context (that) yesterday we received 217 doctors of various training and professions. They are augmenting our resources. They have a strength in community medicine and their presence is very helpful.”
Popularly known as the Cuban Medical Brigade, the specialists include family physicians, epidemiologists, biologists, healthcare technology experts, engineering experts, biotechnology experts and others.
They are currently under a 14-day mandatory quarantine and will start working once they get a clean bill of health at the end of that period.
The minister was however quick to point out that the Cuban doctors will be in the country for a limited period and would therefore not be taking jobs from the locals as feared by many.
He said students about to complete their studies may also be roped in to assist.
“Cuban doctors will not take anyone’s post. They will be working alongside South Africans,” Mkhize said.
“We are also talking to some of the deans (of local universities) who have offered . . . medical students to help.”
South Africa is not the only country being assisted by Cuba to fight the pandemic.
Cuba already has thousands of health professionals in 21 countries across the globe assisting in the fight against COVID-19
“The Cuban healthcare workers are coming at our request to reinforce (our efforts) particularly because they have certain expertise. They are quite good at community health and that is very important at a time like this,” Mkhize said.
The Western Cape and Gauteng, which presently have the highest numbers of coronavirus cases, are expected to get more than 20 specialist doctors each.
The latest figures indicate that the number of confirmed cases in the country has risen to 4 996 after a total of 185 497 tests.
The Free State has 113 cases with five deaths and 76 recoveries.
The Western Cape is now the epicentre with 1 870 cases, followed by Gauteng which has recorded 1 377.
KwaZulu-Natal has 919 cases, while the Eastern Cape now has 616.