Cuban medical cooperation makes positive contribution in the Caribbean
Granma | Monday, 30 May 2016 | Click here for original article
More than 30,100 Cuban health care collaborators are currently working in 18 of the Association of Caribbean States' 25 member nations
During this week's meeting of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) in Havana, mention will surely be made of the wellbeing and hope which Cuban medical cooperation has brought to peoples of the region.
More than 30,100 Cuban health care collaborators are currently working in 18 of the 25 ACS member nations, according to Dr. Regla Angulo Pardo, member of the Party Central Committee, and director of the country's Medical Cooperation Central Unit (UCCM).
Dr. Angulo reported that Venezuela leads the list of cooperating countries with 28,395 Cuban doctors, technicians and nurses working there; followed by Haiti with 555; Guatemala 364; Trinidad & Tobago 164; Guyana 160; Jamaica 93; Belize 87; and Honduras 79.
Cuba also has 53 medical collaborators in Nicaragua; 43 in Antigua & Barbudas; 39 in the Bahamas; 24 in both Dominica and Grenada; 15 in St. Kitts & Nevis; 14 in St. Lucia; seven in Suriname; plus five advisors in El Salvador and three in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The UCCM director clarified that additionally, as part of Operation Miracle devoted to restoring patients' vision, Cuban ophthalmologists are serving in nine other Caribbean nations.
She recalled that in 2015, a 15-member brigade from the Henry Reeve Contingent, traveled to Dominica, to support the population in the wake of damage caused by tropical storm Erika.
Dr. Angulo reported that Cuban health care workers have treated some 1.2 billion patients in ACS countries, attended 689,365 births, and performed 4.6 million surgeries, in addition to promoting important vaccination and preventative health care campaigns, winning the admiration and respect of the population and authorities. (ACN)
