Family, friends and Department of Health officials braved the extremely cold weather and converged at Cala stadium to pay their last respect to the Eastern Cape student who passed away in Cuba.

Akhona Nota, a second year Medical student recruited last year by the Eastern Cape Department of health to study medicine in Cuba as part of RSA/Cuba Medical collaboration was buried on Saturday, 16 August 2008.  

Nota was drowned and found dead on the 20^th July after he disappeared on the evening of the 18^th July while he was out of school in town with friends. At first, the Nota family struggled to come to terms with the death of their 22 year old son, but on the day of the funeral they realised that it was time to let go.  

The MEC for Health, Ms Pemmy Majodina also attended the funeral and conveyed the department’s condolences to the Nota family and expressed her indestructible appreciation of the fact that they surrendered their son to the nation.  

“This young man died on war. It is well known that we have a shortage of skills and medical staff in this country and we are trying to strengthen our Primary Health Care in this province and in the country as a whole by sending the youth from rural areas to the Cuba”, the MEC said. Yonela Dekeda