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The SA government has urgent questions to answer about the deployment of 217 Cuban health workers in South Africa. (Illustrative image photos: Flickr / GCIS)
The government’s decision to bring epidemiologists and biotechnologists from Cuba appears to be premature and ill-informed. Its projected role in the fight against Covid-19 remains unclear.
Dear President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister Zweli Mkhize,
I am writing to you about the arrival of 187 Cuban medical professionals in South Africa.
The global pandemic caused by the new coronavirus continues to challenge our health systems, both in the public and private sectors. We need continuous and agile, experts and innovators, thinking of being at the forefront of “the curve”.
At the time of writing (April 29), Covid-19 positive cases in South Africa totaled 4,996; cases recovered 2,073; active cases 2,830. The Covid-19 virus had claimed 93 South African lives. This is from a total pool of 185,497 tests (source: Worldometer).
The next logical and proven step, according to the Covid Tier 4 protocol, is to significantly increase our test volumes. As more industries open to trade and more South Africans prepare to return to work, it is necessary to take advantage of all our public and private medical, scientific, financial and logistical resources to support mobilization across the country around mitigation of Covid-19, led primarily by Covid-19 testing.
To that end, the government’s sudden decision to bring epidemiologists and biotechnologists from Cuba appears to be premature and ill-informed. Its projected role in the fight against Covid-19 remains unclear.
Unlike other African countries like Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, Cuba has not dealt with a major epidemic, like Ebola. Cuba has sent numerous doctors around the world to help with Covid-19. The financial details of this deployment elsewhere remain undisclosed at this time. But from the leaked South African documents that are currently circulating, and already elucidated by the South African Medical Association, the deployment of such medical specialists at a cost of R500 million is not only unnecessary but also exorbitant: it works at R7,325.47 per person per day during the apparent contracted period of one year.
Obviously, these funds could have been better spent elsewhere, and must be recovered to be allocated elsewhere in our fight against this disease. Physicians should redeploy to other territory as soon as possible to help where resource deficits clearly indicate a need.
While we fully appreciate the current and historic ties between South Africa and Cuba, on the ground, how can the cost of Cuban deployment be reconciled in minimal amounts in each province, while there are other pressing needs in our health sector.
Most of our allied physicians, nurses, and healthcare professionals remain committed to duty, despite suboptimal work environments and compensation policies. The same day the Cuban document was leaked, the MEC for Health in Gauteng apologized for an unfortunate oversight of the salaries of health professionals during the month.
There is still a continuing lack of personal protective equipment in the public and private sectors. Doctors and nurses are continually silenced by raising concerns regarding the release of PPE. This includes long-term use of PPE that is not in accordance with infection control policies. Although the arrival of substantial quantities of protective equipment has been publicly announced, there appear to be continuing logistical problems in distribution.
There are numerous doctors and health workers in our country who make a selfless commitment to supporting both the Minister of Health and the President’s vision of exemplary Covid management. A concerted effort is required to take advantage of these resources.
South Africans have managed superbly so far, without the need to deploy international resources in our communities, beyond the welcome assistance of experts from global NGOs in the field, such as Medicines sans Frontiers and other field workers. As we know, the World Health Organization last week applauded the way SA administers Covid.
In addition, there are numerous black laboratories and female-owned microenterprises in the private sector with experienced biotechnologists. Unfortunately, these are neglected when opportunities arise to help with Covid testing.
We need to critically review this decision. Do the current Covid-19 case numbers really warrant a 12-month contract at that outrageous rate? While the government is clear on its plans for quarantine (at a Pretoria luxury hotel), rapid professional registration with the South African Health Professions Council (HPCSA), and subsequent deployment, there appears to be silence about the costs involved in accommodating potential language Barriers that may exist as a Cuban medical contingent are implemented in rural communities.
Most disturbing is the rapid registration of newcomers to the HPCSA. How does the expedition of registration of Cuban health workers differ from the expedition of registration of other health workers who have faithfully served our country, with suboptimal wages, while awaiting their progress on waiting lists for the registration of specialists and admission to the Health Professions Council? often to be frustrated in that search.
In summary:
* The SA-Cuba political history stands out.
* The financial impact of Covid-19 itself is exorbitant.
* The current additional cost of Cuban doctors is premature and unnecessary.
* Its projected impact on the Covid-19 curve is opaque.
* We have many dedicated healthcare workers and support staff, many of them inactive as routine trauma and elective procedures have been reduced to nothing during closure.
* We have been praised globally for our exemplary management of the pandemic to date.
* We need to focus resources on increasing testing and distribution of PPE.
* We can deploy our globally competitive local resources adequately and effectively.
Signed:
Medical Specialist (14 years in the public and private sectors). DM / MC
Maverick Citizen knows the identity of the author of this letter and agreed to publish it anonymously to protect her from victimization.
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