In a communiqué to that effect, the Ministry highlighted the value of Cuban cooperation in saving lives through medical brigades all over the world.

South Africa, the Ministry recalls, is one of the more than 100 nations that has benefited from Cuba’s ‘social solidarity, excellent internationalism and medical cooperation’ through specialists ‘who greatly contributed’ to strengthening the national health system and its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

South Africa has benefited from this important support since 1997 through doctors and healthcare specialists who have worked here during the period, the note added.

The Ministry also noted the Nelson Mandela-Fidel Castro Medical Training Program, which has graduated more than 3,000 South African physicians from several Cuban universities, who work largely in sectors of the least favored communities.

The communiqué quoted Deputy Minister of Health Sibongiseni Dhlomo, who described South Africa as one of the fortunate nations to be the recipient of Cuba’s international cooperation in health, which complemented the national medical faculties to address the shortage of doctors, especially in historically neglected areas.

South Africa would not have benefited from this fruitful cooperation if it had not been for the efforts of the two countries’ globally admired revolutionary freedom fighters, Nelson Mandela and Fidel Castro, Dhlomo noted.

Both leaders, the deputy minister concluded, were convinced that health is the greatest wealth anyone can have.

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