’Cuba obsession’ led to wasteful health expenditure in Gauteng – DA
The DA contends that the Gauteng Health Department took the R32.5 million out of its HIV/Aids grant to pay the 28 Cuban doctors “even though no local need for them had been identified”.
PRETORIA, June 10 (ANA) – The Democratic Alliance has lambasted the Gauteng Department of Health following revelations by Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi that at least R32 million (about US$2.4 million) was spent on 28 Cuban doctors assisting the province in fighting Covid-19.
DA Gauteng spokesperson on health Jack Bloom said the Cuban experts were not doing anything that South African health professionals could not do at a cheaper price tag.
“I doubt whether these doctors did anything that local doctors could not have done more cost-effectively. It’s yet another example of the ANC’s Cuba obsession that diverts money that should be used to save lives of patients in our crumbling hospitals,” said Bloom.
The DA contended that the Gauteng Health Department took the R32.5 million out of its HIV/Aids grant to pay the 28 Cuban doctors for a year’s service on Covid-19-related activities “even though no local need for them had been identified”.
“This wasteful and misdirected spending was disclosed by Gauteng Health MEC Nomathemba Mokgethi in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng legislature,” said Bloom.
According to Mokgethi, the Cuban Brigade doctors were employed in Gauteng from May 15, 2020, to May 30, 2021. Their work, according to the provincial health authorities, ranged from advisory, health data specialists, public health specialist care, consulting with patients and total health-care delivery.
“Their one-year salaries ranged from R858,000 for a biostatistician to R1.58 million for a specialised medical doctor. Mokgethi says that their employment was as a result of a government-to-government agreement entered into by South Africa and Cuba to fight the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Bloom.
“The budget for them was taken from Covid components of the HIV/Aids grant, which is surely irregular. It appears that Gauteng was forced to fit in with the nationally imposed decision to use Cuban doctors even though no local need was identified.”
On Wednesday, Gauteng Health Department spokesperson Kwara Kekana said the R32 million covered the experts’ remuneration, accommodation and transport.
“The total cost incurred by the Department of Health during the deployment period was R32,500,212 – which was inclusive of remuneration, accommodation and transport. The team of 28 was contracted for a year (between 15 May 2020 and 30 May 2021) and that has since come to an end,” said Kekana.
She said as the tenure of the Cuban specialists came to an end, the department was grateful for the work done by members of the Cuban Medical Brigade.
“The Gauteng Department of Health wishes to thank the Cuban Medical Brigade that was deployed to the Gauteng province as part of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The 28 Cuban Medical Brigade that was deployed in the province were part of the government-to-government agreement entered into by the South African and Cuban governments,” said Kekana.
In May last year, the former Gauteng MEC for Health Bandile Masuku welcomed the 28 Cuban doctors, who were part of the more than 200 members of the Cuban Medical Brigade who arrived in South Africa to help fight Covid-19.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher
