Eight Cuban doctors arrived in Namibia late last year, increasing the total number of Cuban medical specialists in the country to 98.
Their arrival is aimed at alleviating the shortage of medical staff in Namibia, particularly in underserved areas.
The deployment forms part of a bilateral agreement signed by Namibia and Cuba in 2015.
The new specialists have expertise in various fields, including internal medicine, neurosurgery, intensive care, paediatrics, orthopaedics, psychiatry, gynaecology, neonatology, plastic surgery, forensic medicine, stomatology, electromedicine, pharmacy, anaesthesia, urology, radiology and maxillofacial surgery.
“This is part of the fulfilment of an agreement between the two governments signed in 2015,” Cuban ambassador Sergio Vigoa de la Luz told Nampa on Monday.
He said the doctors have been assigned to hospitals at Katima Mulilo, Keetmanshoop, Oshakati and Engela, as well as at Katutura Intermediate Hospital, where their skills are urgently needed.
“We welcome these new Cuban collaborators who will contribute to improving health and well-being in Namibia’s remote regions,” the ambassador said.
While the current agreement was signed in 2015, the presence of Cuban doctors in Namibia dates back to 1991.
Since Namibia’s independence, about 2 000 Cuban specialists have provided healthcare services in the country.
Beyond healthcare, Cuban expertise extends to fishing, agriculture, sport, education, mining and construction.
“Currently, 120 Cuban specialists are serving Namibia across various sectors of society and the economy,” Vigoa de la Luz said.
More than 100 Namibian doctors also graduated from Cuban universities last year and are currently serving in Namibian state hospitals countrywide.
Despite decades of economic blockade, Cuba has maintained a robust healthcare system, including a successful maternal and child health programme, which significantly reduced the infant mortality rate of 7.1 per thousand live births in children under one year of age in 33 municipalities in the country.
Cuba also boasts a comprehensive vaccination programme, offering 17 vaccines, 12 of which are produced domestically.
The ambassador emphasised Cuba’s commitment to the partnership with Namibia, expressing the hope that the collaboration would further enhance healthcare services in the country.
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