Local medics ‘disrespected’

President Cyril Ramaphosa has been widely criticised for praising Cuban doctors who have saved fewer people’s lives across Africa than the death rate in South Africa currently.

To add insult to injury, Ramaphosa said the Cubans – who cost the country millions of rands and left many local doctors unemployed – would be nominated for a Nobel Prize.

On Monday, Ramaphosa lifted the alcohol ban, opened churches and beaches and praised the Cuban doctors for their contribution towards fighting Covid-19.

He said the 217 Cuban doctors, health technologists and epidemiologists deployed in SA were part of a team of 3 700 healthcare workers who had collectively treated more than 38 000 people in Africa by November last year.

SA has recorded about 1.4 million coronavirus infections with 1.3 million recoveries and more than 40 000 deaths.

“I think the announcement was an outrageous slap in the face to many South African clinicians who have served on the front line, many of whom have died,” said professor Alex van den Heever of Wits School of Governance.

“It was also insensitive to the remarkable and unpaid initiatives of Gift of the Givers, who make a real difference and do not have political deals with the governing party.”

Van den Heever said the state was unable to appoint local community service doctors to posts because of an apparent lack of resources; “resources liberally allocated to Cuba for who knows what ulterior purpose”.

A Johannesburg doctor, who agreed to speak to The Citizen anonymously, said he had, in recent months, not come across any Cuban doctor or specialist.

“Luckily they only work in the state sector because they have a deal with the Cuban government.

“They pay [the Cuban doctors] fat salaries, but their government takes almost everything and the poor doctors get peanuts.”