Luanda - The President of the Republic, João Lourenço, Tuesday congratulated Angolan and foreign doctors who work in Angola, on the occasion of National Doctor's Day, which is celebrated today.
In his Twitter account, the Angolan Head of State paid "heartfelt homage to all those who lost their lives in the exercise of their profession, in a deeply noble and priceless gesture, so that other lives could survive.
João Lourenço said that "the nation recognises all the dedication shown by doctors, not only in this difficult moment of Covid-19, but also in the fight against all other pathologies that, like malaria, acute diarrhoea, hepatitis and others, affect the lives of Angolans on a daily basis".
Official figures point to the need for around 28,000 doctors, for Angola to reach the ratio (one doctor to one thousand inhabitants) recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), with the country currently having only 8,000.
The data also indicate that as part of the public tenders held in 2018 and 2019, by the Angolan government, 2,945 doctors were included, out of a total of 26,90 health professionals.
The national health network now has around 100,000 professionals, serving over 30 million inhabitants.
