Pretoria - A Cuban trained medical doctor has urged aspirant doctors, who will be studying medicine in Cuba, to represent the country well.
Speaking during a farewell function of 126 medical bursary recipients of the South Africa-Cuba Medical Programme, held on Saturday in Mmabatho, Dr Tshepo Lekone reminded aspiring doctors that they will not only represent the North West province, but the country as a whole.
“I want you to see this as a privilege and you must treat it as such. I am a qualified medical doctor today because of hard work. I am proud today because of the opportunity I was given by this government.
“Today I am serving people of my province and I am expecting the same from you after completion of your studies to come back and serve the people of this beautiful province with pride,” said Lekone.
North West MEC for Health, Dr Magome Masike, told the beneficiaries to conduct themselves in a way that shows commitment to the programme.
“When you get to Cuba, do not forget where you come from. Once you have decided to enrol in this programme, it means you must be willing to sacrifice some of the things you are used to. I am confident that you are not going to disappoint us,” said Masike.
He said the programme is in line with government’s rural development plan, which seeks to improve the general state of service delivery. He said his department is contributing to this mandate by improving health services in rural areas.
“As government, we are hoping that the South Africa-Cuba Medical Programme will eventually assist us to improve our patient-doctor ratio. We need to see more doctors and specialist visiting our clinics and community health centres, where our people live.”
Bursary recipient Mmoloki Matlapeng, 19, from Bojanala thanked the department for granting him and others the opportunity of a lifetime.
Matlapeng said when he was applying for a bursary, he was not only thinking about becoming a doctor. He said he is focused on how he is going to contribute and help the community that raised him.
“We are definitely not the first group to go to Cuba and we are not the last to go. We want to assure our parents and communities that we will do our best and will make them proud,” said Matlapeng.
The province has seen an increase in Cuban medical bursary recipients, from 10 in 2008 to 126 in 2014. Currently, the province has 68 medical doctors from poor backgrounds, who successfully completed their medical studies in Cuba and are now serving in various facilities across the province.
The South Africa-Cuba Medical Programme was introduced in 1998 to address shortage of medical professionals in the country. The bursaries awarded to the students will cover the costs of books, accommodation and tuition. – SAnews.gov.za
