SA student doctor found dead in Cuba

The Health Department says the third year student allegedly committed suicide in the capital of Cuba, Havana yesterday.

 

Health ministry spokesperson Joe Maila says: "We are in complete shock to learn about the death of one of our students as we were eagerly waiting for him to come back to South Africa and practice medicine. Unfortunately, death has robbed us of this star."

 

The KwaZulu-Natal Health Department is arranging trauma counselling for the relatives of the deceased.

 

Trauma counselling will also be offered to fellow students in Cuba.

 

"They already know about what happened - we made sure that the colleagues in Cuba are also receiving counselling so that they can cope with the loss, but also continue their studies," Maila says.

 

Last year, a Free State medical student, was stabbed to death in Cuba.

 

The South African government sends students to foreign countries, as part of its strategy to close the critical scarce skills gap.