Cuban ambassador to Botswana, Ms Patricia Guerra has appreciated the support the Ngamiland leadership and hospital management accord the Cuban medical team working at Letsholathebe II Memorial hospital.
Ms Guerra said the team had reported that they were enjoying their stay in Maun as the leadership and the community at large had extended a warm welcome to them.
Last year, the hospital received 12 health professionals. Currently, there are seven doctors and one specialist. Cuba has promised to increase the number of specialists within two months.
Ms Guerra said this during her visit to the deputy council chairperson, Mr Lathang Molonda, where the two exchanged ideas on how the Cuban medical professionals could be more useful to the community.
The meeting also followed up on issues discussed last year.
“Our health team here is happy and love Maun and they are so much involved in the community. I would like to thank the hospital management and the leadership for taking good care of our people,” she added.
Botswana and Cuba share a lot in common hence the need to continue strengthening the countries bilateral relations, she added.
She added that her country was committed to continue working on the development of the bilateral relations enjoyed by the two countries.
She said, “This year, we intend to offer scholarship for some Batswana to do medicine in Cuba,” adding that relevant authorities had been engaged on the issue.
The Cuban ambassador believes that human capital development was needed in Botswana especially in medical area.
However, over the years, Botswana benefited from Cuba technical assistance through provision of high education and in areas of sports.
For his part, Mr Molonda appreciated the assistance from Cuba noting that Botswana had been receiving many services which benefited the communities.
He informed the ambassador that the district was faced with a number of challenges such as Foot and Mouth Disease as well as human/wildlife conflict, which he said had impoverished the communities.
Mr Molonda also shared that the district was also concerned about the long distance traveled by children to access education, noting that due to inadequate budget, the council could not afford to construct two teacher schools and appealed to the Cuban ambassador to assist where possible.
The district commissioner, Mr Keolopile Leipego also thanked Cuba for their continued efforts in medical sector.
He wished the Cuban health team could at least learn the local language to close the gap of language barrier between them and patients.
He said there was a proposal to offer a bridging course where they would familiarise themselves with few Setswana basic words.
The leader of the medical team and an epidemiologist, Dr Yenifer Bringas said they were learning the local language almost every day as patients always communicated in Setswana.