BuaNews (Tshwane)
René-Jean Van Der Berg
25 August 2003
Pretoria — 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.
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