S. Africa receives Cuban medics to help treat COVID-19 patients

South Africa on Sunday received a medical team from Cuba to help health officials treat COVID-19 patients.

The 217 health care professionals include doctors, nurses, epidemiologists and technical experts.

“It’s really something great, the feeling for what is being done to help other countries with fewer resources deal with this pandemic is hard to describe, to leave your family and everything else to confront this for those who don’t have the means”, Teresa de la Cruz, a nurse said.

It's really something great, the feeling for what is being done to help other countries...

The largest contingent has been deployed to Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Cuban officials say the large team sent to South Africa will bring much needed support and expertise to a health system struggling to contain and treat an increasing number of COVID-19 patients.

Cuba is dealing with its own virus outbreak. But according to officials, measures to contain COVID-19 are showing signs of success, even as the number of cases continues to grow.

Cuba has deployed a total of 1,200 medical professionals in 23 nations since the global pandemic.

Over 4,300 COVID-19 cases have been registered in South Africa with 86 fatalities.

AP