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05/03/2020 – 6:55 pm
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The young South African Sibusiso Qongqo, a student at the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) in Cuba, died in Havana after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
The student was in the fifth year of medical career on the Caribbean island, but on Saturday of last week he was admitted to a hospital, where doctors confirmed that suffered from advanced pancreatic cancer, the newspaper reported I Report South Africa, who had communication with the South African ambassador to Cuba, Thaninga Pandit Shope-Linney.
Qongqo died four days later at the medical center where he was hospitalized.
“Our heart goes out to his family, particularly because at this very difficult time, his parents cannot come or take his body home,” said the diplomat.
He also explained that the young man “will have to be buried here (Cuba) or cremated so that once the airline starts moving again, the remains of his body can be taken back to South Africa, so we are waiting for his parents to guide us in what will have to be done, “he stressed.
Although the information has not been published in Cuban official media, the South African press has echoed the news.
The authorities of that country told the media that they are waiting for a meeting with the family of Sibusiso Qongqo, from the Eastern Cape province, to decide how to proceed with the repatriation of their son.
However, they anticipated that due to the global coronavirus pandemic, which has forced the cessation of flights and the closure of airports, including Cubans, the student’s remains must remain a little longer on the island.
Tens of young people from Africa they study at the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM). In this center, several incidents have been reported with African students, due to complaints about the quality of life on the island and the payment of their monthly payments.
Last year, 50 Kenyan students denounced the difficult living conditions in the Caribbean country far from their families, and reported that their stay in Cuba was far from the paradisiacal image sold by the island’s Ministry of Health when it summons the interested in these courses.
In this regard, they mentioned inconsistencies regarding the payment of their stipend and went so far as to affirm that there were delays in collecting their quota.
The agreement signed between the ministries of both nations stipulated, at first, that Kenyan medical students would receive a monthly dowry of $ 1,435.38, but only receive $ 358.84, 25% of what corresponds. The rest of the money stays in the coffers of the Cuban government, they explained.
That complaint was supported by others students from the Republic of the Congo, who joined the protests because, according to them, they also had difficulties in collecting their stipends.
Weeks after these complaints some 140 Congolese youths were returned to their country without having obtained their diplomas, following the decision of both governments to repatriate them in retaliation for the protests.
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