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| Some of the students that had just returned home from Cuba and other guests inside Nelson Mandela College of Medicine Hall. |
The announcement which was conveyed to the public via social media said:
UKZN is excited to welcoming 126 medical students returning home after five years of study in Cuba for their final phase of studying and training. The welcome ceremony took place this morning at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine
The training of South Africa Medical Science students in Cuba is part of the Nelson Mandela - Fidel Castro collaboration programme and it is sponsor by the government of South Africa.
The programme which started in 1996 is said to have produced more than five hundred medical personnel. This year and last year alone, 360 (200 last year) medical students were welcome back home and it is proving successful taking into consideration it is increasing the number of medical doctors in South Africa which is one of the reasons the programme was formed: to combat shortage of medical personnel in South Africa.
The Nelson Mandela - Fidel Castro medical training collaboration programme requires the selected students to undergo their first five years medical study and training programme in Cuba after which they will come back to complete their last two years training at home.
KwaZulu Natal University announcement of the return of the medical students says that in the next eighteen months the students will receive more training at some of the Health Professional Council of South Africa (HPCSA) accredited hospitals.
Some of the students that returned home which were interviewed commended the programme saying it was a privilege for them to have been selected for medical training in Cuba. They explained that the programme made them to learn new culture, language and beliefs.
Also, tbey said the programme make them to realise the gap between South Africa Medical system and Cuba's, saying something must be done urgently to fill the gap. They believe the programme would make them a better medical doctors within the community they would be posted in future.