With the satisfaction of serving almost three million people in 165 countries, Cuba celebrates the 60th anniversary of the beginning of medical collaboration, a unique humanist and altruistic gesture in the world, health authorities assured today.
With barely three thousand professionals who remained in the country after the triumph of the Revolution in January 1959, the Caribbean island decided to send the first brigade of professionals to Algeria on May 23, 1963, specialists from the Ministry of Health recalled this Monday, protagonists also of these solidarity missions.
In the Mesa Redonda radio and television space, it was recalled that during these six decades Cuban professionals have provided more than two billion consultations and carried out a figure of more than 16 million surgical interventions, while more than three million children have been born in the hands of doctors, technicians and nursing staff in most cases in difficult and extreme geographical conditions.
The emergency missions have marked these medical collaborations offered by Cuba, deployed by all the contingents with great responsibility, commitment and also in situations of danger to life, not only due to the risk of contagion in the event of epidemics, but also in situations of armed conflicts.
The participants exemplified the permanent collaboration that has been provided for 25 years and will continue to benefit the people of Haiti, a nation hit by natural disasters, epidemics, and political and social imbalances, which, even in the most difficult moments, has had the presence of the Cuban health professionals.
In his speech, Dr. Michael Cabrera Laza, director of the Central Unit for Medical Cooperation, highlighted different moments of this extraordinary page of Cuban medicine, and highlighted, among others, the start of the Barrio Adentro program in Venezuela and the confrontation with Covid-19. with 58 medical brigades in 42 countries.
More recently, he highlighted, the earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye in February of this year demonstrated the integrity of health professionals and technicians, who in less than 48 hours formed a brigade of 32 collaborators, and left to care for those affected by those natural disasters.
The First Deputy Minister of Public Health Tania Margarita Cruz, recognized that the members of the Cuban medical brigades are a great family full of love, altruism and solidarity, principles that allow us to continue this beautiful work that was born and promoted 60 years ago and that they assume as a meaning of life and not a means for it.
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