By Obakeng Maje

Mahikeng-The North West MEC for Health Dr Magome Masike has come out to say he is very disappointed by two students who decided to quit the Cuban Medical Programme.

One of the students is from the 2012 group while the other is from the group that just departed to Cuba this year in October.

The two students wrote letters to the Department and the University in Cuba indicating their wish to discontinue with the programme.

Both of them cited lack of passion for medicine as a reason for quitting the programme.

“I am obviously disappointed because as a Department we made efforts to put all students through an intensive orientation programme, giving them insight of what it takes and means to become a doctor and what to expect in Cuba. We even asked them to pull out before departing to Cuba if they thought being a doctor is not what they want”, said MEC Masike.

The Department has been in contact with both the learners and parents and notified them of the implications of their actions.

Both learners are still in Cuba as plans to secure return air tickets are being undertaken.

The return ticket amounts to between R17000 and R20000 per student. 

In 2012 alone, the Department took 100 students to Cuba and the numbers increased substantially to 180 in 2013 as the efforts to decrease shortage of doctors in the Province intensify.-TDN

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