A high official from the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), Cuba has confirmed that the country is providing medical cooperation today in 37 countries that are battling the menace of the novel coronavirus.
Known for its medical diplomacy, doctors are Cuba’s highest exports and Cuba has one of the highest ratios worldwide of physicians per capita.
Dr. Jorge Juan Delgado Bustillo, director of MINSAP Central Unit of Medical Collaboration said that Cuban physicians enjoy good health and that measures for self-care and prevention of n-Cov19 have been taken as they serve in different countries.
Speaking to Granma International, he said that so far, no health professional in their medical teams abroad had been reported to be ill with the virus. “Cuba, in its usual demonstration of brotherhood and solidarity, is ready to help and to respond to the requests made to us,” he said.
“There is a national feeling of wanting to cooperate. We receive messages from volunteers willing to go anywhere to help in this world’s health situation,” he added.
In the past few days, Cuban medical teams have been sent to Nicaragua, Venezuela, Jamaica, Suriname and Grenada in the mission of helping to defeat Covid-19.
On Saturday, 52 specialists consisting of 36 doctors, 15 nurses and a logistics expert from Cuba left for Lombardy, Italy, where the pandemic has wreaked maximum havoc.
On Cuba News reported that the doctors belonging to the Henry Reeve International Contingent pecialized in disaster situations and epidemics–landed at Malpensa airport, Milan.
Llegada de la brigada médica de #Cuba a #Italia. Aeropuerto de #Malpensa #Milán. Tarde del #22marzo #2020. #MédicosDeCuba llegan a #Lombardia para apoyar en la contención del #COVID19. #Covid_19 I #MediciCubani / #Italia y #Cuba aún más unidas. pic.twitter.com/oKhM7NZ5iS
— JoseCarlosRR (@JoseCarlosRguez) March 22, 2020
Dr. Bustillo said that his country had proved that they were ready to help at different times, both when countries were faced with natural disasters and during the time of the Ebola outbreak in South Africa and also during the outbreak of cholera in Haiti.
Communist Cuba has been helping poor countries around the world by sending “armies of white robes” since its 1959 revolution.
The National Post reported Leonardo Fernandez, an intensive care specialist undertaking his eighth international mission and leader of the brigade of doctors going to Italy as saying, “We are all afraid but we have a revolutionary duty to fulfill, so we take out fear and put it to one side. He who says he is not afraid is a superhero, but we are not superheroes, we are revolutionary doctors.”
Italy has seen the highest deaths due to the coronavirus with the toll crossing 6,000. Cuba, which is known world-wide for its disaster preparedness is ramping up efforts to contain the virus at home after 25 cases being reported in the country.
President Miguel Diaz-Canel announced late on Friday the country would be closing its borders to foreign non-residents from Tuesday in a major blow to one of the motors of its cash-strapped economy, tourism.
Cuba, with the help of former ally, the Soviet Union had built an envious healthcare system. However, now, most Cubans rue the state of the same, reason being the inefficient state-run economy and the US sanctions imposed there.
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