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The North West health department is reeling from shock after the death of Keabetswe Rakoma, a Cuban-trained medical doctor.
- An intern medical doctor died a week before completing her training.
- A trip to a garage ended badly for the intern.
- The North West Health MEC described the death as a hard pill to swallow.
A drive with friends to a garage ended with Keabetswe Rakoma, a Cuban-trained medical programme intern doctor, losing her life just a week before she was due to complete her training.
Rakoma, 28, from Mfitikwe village in the Bojanala district in the North West, was admitted to the Nelson Mandela-Fidel Castro (NMFC) medical scholarship programme in 2013.
She died of her injuries at the Nelson Mandela Academic Central Hospital in the Eastern Cape on Saturday.
Rakoma was severely injured when the car she was travelling in overturned in Mthatha.
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North West Health MEC Madoda Sambatha said Rakoma was finishing her training next week.
"This is why it is a hard pill to swallow. It is devastating to us as a province. A health worker has been stolen from us," Sambatha said.
He said on Saturday the NMFC students and one friend were travelling to an Engen garage in Norwood, Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape.
Sambatha said:
The garage was not far from their home. It is alleged that the driver hit a speed hump and lost control of the vehicle, which sent it flying into a river and it was submerged with the tyres up. One of the students managed to get out of the car and was able to pull the others out.
Sambatha said it took emergency workers longer to rescue Rakoma as she had her seat belt on.
She was rushed to hospital, where she later died.
Eastern Cape Health MEC Nomakhosazana Meth said the health sector had "lost a promising doctor".
"We were still expecting a lot from this young, brilliant mind. The health sector is poorer without her.
"We feel the pain that her family is feeling.
"In her, we have lost a promising doctor who would have contributed to our efforts of delivering quality health and care services to our people," she said.
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