Mpumalanga Health MEC Sasekani Manzini on Tuesday welcomed the arrival of 13 Cuban medical doctors to the province to help fight the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19).

The doctors will be distributed in all three districts of the province to support the existing teams in the fight against the novel pandemic.

“It gives me great pleasure to welcome our brothers and sisters from Cuba. These are medical doctors and medical personnel who have left their country to serve humanity in the land of Nelson Mandela. Today, as Mpumalanga province, we have received a total of 13 health professionals who will be distributed in all the three districts to support the existing teams in the fight against the Covid-19,” said the MEC.

Manzini explained that the Cuban health system is based on a Primary Health Care (PHC) model with a focus on prevention rather than cure.

“The Cuban system has yielded massive gains for the people of Cuba and their quality of life. This health care system is a shining light and it is free, hence thousands of people flock into Cuba to seek and receive free health care. This is what this Socialist country provides to the world,” Manzini said.

She also claimed that South Africa’s proposed National Health Insurance (NHI) is modelled on such a PHC system and said there was much that South African doctors could learn from Cuba.

Manzini stressed that the Cuban doctors were not in the country to steal jobs but rather to assist in the fight against the pandemic.

“We are in a fight against this virus and all the necessary help should be welcome with open arms. I must say that we also have some of our doctors who went to Cuba to acquire medical knowledge and we continue to send our students to study medicine in Cuba,” she added.

Manzini shared that the Cuban Revolution dictates that when there is a crisis in the world its doctors are sent out to save lives.