WINDHOEK – The Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, Andrew Ndishishi, says the ministry is working in collaboration with the embassies of Russia and Cuba to ensure that 290 students on their way to study in Russia and Cuba make it to those countries before the semester commences on Wednesday.
Ndishishi said last Thursday the ministry was sorting out logistical issues as most of the successful candidates did not possess Namibian passports. He said the ministry was also sortiing out the students’ visas and hence the delay.
Students have to travel as a group because when they get to their respective universities they need to be oriented collectively, Ndishishi explained.
Clarifying the scholarships, Ndishishi said the students who are to study medicine and medical engineering in the two countries are those who completed Grade 12 but had not acquired entrance at the University of Namibia School of Medicine.
Over 1 000 Namibians applied to study medicine and medical engineering in Cuba and Russia when the ministry advertised the scholarship programme in the local media mid this year. Of these, 800 were successful but only 290 are being afforded the opportunity because the government does not have sufficient funds to pay for all those who qualified, the permanent secretary explained. He said that staff of his ministry who want to further their studies did not qualify for the particular programme as the ministry has a separate programme for them. He said many nurses had resigned on their own to apply for the scholarships without telling their supervisors who would have advised them rather to opt for the ministry’s study programme specifically tailored for them.
“I never told anybody to resign. Where is the fairness if those who are working wanting to take over what is meant for those who [recently] finished high school?,” he said.
By Alvine Kapitako