The Citizen reports that the Department of Health continues to pay expert Cuban doctors high salaries despite expired contracts, even as doctors at Chris Hani remain unpaid.

According to Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng shadow health MEC Jack Bloom, the department spent R30.3 million on Cuban doctors last year and still employed 14 of them at between R78,000 and R91,000 a month. Saying the government’s misplaced loyalty to Cuba was outdated, he also claimed that 10 intern doctors at the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Academic Hospital were “suffering” as they have not been paid this year. “They do invaluable work in 12- hour shifts, but things are getting desperate as some of them are going hungry and don’t have money for transport,” said Bloom. Health MEC Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi indicated that some Cuban doctors were still employed due to a government-to-government agreement. She confirmed that 14 Cuban doctors were at primary health care facilities. But, Bloom said the contracts for the 28 Cuban doctors employed in May 2020 for a one-year period expired in May last year. “It is disappointing that the department still employs 14 of them when local doctors are unemployed,” he stated.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Marizka Coetzer at The Citizen

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