The Cuban government has denied any form of discrimination against Ghanaian students in Cuba following the death of Erasmus Klutse, a second year Ghanaian medical student who died in Cuba on May 7.
A statement signed by the Acting President of the National Union of Ghana Students, NUGS-Cuba Attah Abdul Razak described the death of Erasmus Klutse as preventable.
This led to accusations on social media that Erasmus Klutse was denied medical attention and eventually died.
The Cuban Ambassador to Ghana, Pedro Luiz Gonzalez, denied the claims when he met with the Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, to present a letter from the Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister.
The Cuban Ambassador to Ghana used the occasion to assure Ghanaians that its citizens in Cuba are safe and receive the necessary healthcare.
He said his government has commenced investigations into the matter and will present the findings to the government of Ghana when concluded.
“Nobody (No Ghanaian student) will be left unattended in Cuba in terms of medical care, that I can assure you. We are all humans and this situation is very unfortunate but it is important that the media in Ghana knows what actually happened. I can assure you that he (Erasmus Klutse) received the best. Medical attention.”
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, expressed surprise at the allegations and called for calm as the Cuban government conducts investigations into the matter.
“We received the news with a lot of concern, and we believe that he was not denied any medical attention. I know that from the briefings I have received on the matter. We are following happenings and I would be grateful if you can share the full report on the matter.”
Erasmus Klutse was a 2nd-year Medical student in Cuba on scholarship from the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation.
By: Nathaniel Nartey.
