Johannesburg, August 27 (RHC) –- About 145 students from South Africa are leaving on Thursday, flying to Cuba to study medicine. The students have been awarded seven year scholarships and will join hundreds of other South African students already studying medicine in Cuba.

South Africa and Cuba have been participating in a bilateral agreement concerning the training of medical professionals. Since 1995, a cooperation agreement with South Africa has seen hundreds of Cuban doctors practice in South Africa, while South Africa sends medical students to the island.

In 2012, the two governments signed another deal, increasing numbers on both sides. The Cuban program is aimed at increasing the number of doctors to address the shortage in the country. About 1,200 doctors are currently trained by the country's eight medical schools annually.