The 187 Cuban medical personnel who arrived in the country in April have been of great help in South Africa’s fight against COVID-19. The Times reports that this is according to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, who was responding to parliamentary questions for written reply filed by DA leader John Steenhuisen.
Mkhize detailed how the Cuban team was spread around the country.
The Cuban Brigade’s contribution, he said, includes: easing the workload on South Africa's personnel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; resourcefulness in primary health care, which is their speciality; being instrumental in data analysis and information management to assess the affect of the country’s strategy in dealing with the disease; spot on epidemiological prediction of the peak, which was critical for district readiness; advice in the research on the trends the pandemic has been following; contact tracing and assisting at quarantine and isolation sites; and involvement in the ward-based programme and health facility decongestion programme.
Overall, the country had set aside R400m towards the upkeep of the Cuban team.
[link url="https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2020-08-24-zweli-mkhize-explains-contribution-by-cuban-team-to-fight-against-covid-19/"]Full report in The Times[/link]