By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), reports 365 new COVID-19 cases that have been identified in South Africa, which brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 3 997 269.
The majority of new cases today are from Gauteng (47%) followed by KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape (13% each). Eastern Cape accounted for 8%; FS accounted for 6%; Mpumalanga and North West each accounted for 5% respectively; Limpopo accounted for 2%; and Northern Cape accounted for 1% of today’s cases.
This increase represents a 3.6% positivity rate.
The proportion of positive new cases/total new tested today is (3,6%), and is lower than yesterday (4,5%). The 7-day average is (4,2%) today, and is the same as yesterday (4,2%). The 7-day moving average daily number of cases has increased.
Today, the NDoH reports 8 deaths, and of these, 3 occurred in the past 24 – 48 hours. This brings the total fatalities to 101,876 to date.
Health Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla, says the recently graduated South African medical doctors who were trained in Cuba will help address the challenges that continue to plague the country’s healthcare system.
Phaahla said the demand of doctors and other healthcare workers remains a huge issue in South Africa’s healthcare system.
“The system and our conditions as a country requires those trained in the new health associated security paradigm and preventative approach to strengthen the primary health care system,”the Minister said.
He was speaking at the graduation ceremony of 594 South African Medical Students graduating from Cuban Universities as part of Nelson Mandela/Fidel Castro Medical Collaboration Programme.
The objective of the programme is to alleviate the shortage of doctors in South Africa, especially in the historically disadvantaged communities and well as to improve human resource capacity and strengthen the healthcare system in the country.
Phaahla presided over the graduation ceremony held at the University of Pretoria’s Mamelodi campus in Pretoria.
He was joined by Health Deputy Minister, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, Deputy Minister of Health in the Republic of Cuba, Dr Luis Fernando LF Navarro, Acting Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria, Prof BT Maharaj; as well as provincial MECs for Health and representatives from the University of Havana in Cuba.
This group of doctors come from eight different provinces with North West and Kwazulu-Natal having 126 graduates, Gauteng 113, Limpopo 86, Eastern Cape 83, Northern Cape 28, Free State 21, and Mpumalanga 12 graduates.
The Minister highlighted that the prevailing socio-economic conditions and environmental factors requires the health sector to remain vigilant and maintain focus on infectious diseases as they have been shown to be the emerging threats.
Over a number of years, the Nelson Mandela/Fidel Castro Medical Collaboration, grew in leaps and bounds, producing the desired medical professionals from which South Africa has benefitted immensely.
Phaahla said the glaring achievements from the collaboration signify the relevance and importance of solidarity among the people and nations of the world, seen many years ago by former President Nelson Mandela and El Comandante Fidel Castro.