Thousands of foreign health professionals graduated in Cuba since 2005
Campaign News | Monday, 4 August 2008
Almost seven thousand health professionals from 56 countries have graduated from Cuban medical universities since 2005 through a project of the Havana-based Latin American School of Medicine (LASM) and the Agreement of the Cuban Foreign Ministry.
Out of the 6,757 foreign health professionals who have graduated in Cuba since 2005, the LASM alone has trained 6,254 from more than 30 nations.
Speaking to ACN, Dr. Juan Carrizo, Rector of the LASM, recalled that this educational center was devised in 1998 by the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, after hurricanes George and Mitch hit Central America and the Caribbean leaving hundreds of victims and exposing the inefficiency of the health systems and lack of personnel in many countries of the region.
Carrizo added that the LASM offers 1,500 scholarships annually to train, free of charge, low-income youths, mainly from Latin America and Caribbean.
The LASM Rector noted that there are currently almost 10,000 students from 30 countries in this medical university.
Carrizo also recalled the words of Fidel Castro when he said: “the main contribution of this center is the example of what a doctor trained
under humanitarian principles should and can be.”
