Cuba’s medical services, harshly criticized by the United States and Brazil, reappear to applause, including from Europe, to combat the coronavirus pandemic, and give impetus to a vital program for the development of the island.
More of 28,000 medical students are in charge of visiting door to door to all the inhabitants of the island to prevent or detect any case of coronavirus.
“In Cuba there is a family medical office, which is by area, so we are locating ourselves in different areas, trying to cover the entire population. Teachers with students collaborate with the family doctor, “Diana Marín Benito, a professor at the University of Medical Sciences in Santiago de Cuba, tells Radio France International.
The expert details the procedure: “The students go house to house, knock on doors, the person opens it for them, the student has no physical contact with them, always keeping their distance, the student asks, takes the person’s information and He hands them over to the family doctor who then takes the measurements. With the people who have the respiratory system they visit them at home, they do the tests… ”.
The testimonies of the citizens are positive regarding this prevention plan. Lisandra Chaveco lives with her aunt in Guanabacoa, and the two are calm thanks to the medical visits they have received in recent weeks.
Pedicab riders with chinstraps on a Havana street. The island has already confirmed six coronavirus deaths. / EFE
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“At the house I have received four visits so far. The first was with the nurse and the office doctor, and the others with medical students. The nurse and the office doctor are aware of the population at risk that is part of their health area. In my case, both my aunt who lives with me and I are at-risk population ”, explains Lisandra.
“The possibility of a pandemic has been discussed since the beginning of this century and Cuba prepared its army in white coats“, explains to the AFP agency Arturo López-Levy, professor at Holy Names University, in California.
The Cuban revolution shows free health and education as its great achievements. “At the end of the Cold War, Cuba developed that capacity and it is logical that it is a very important tool of its foreign policy,” he adds.
Export Professionals
Italy, with more than 11,000 deaths from the new coronavirus, is one of the 14 nations that recently requested the intervention of the Cuban contingent Henry Reeve, specialized in natural disasters and epidemics.
Since its creation in 2005, that group has served in 22 countries, with missions such as the fight against Ebola in Africa in 2014, at the request of the World Health Organization (WHO). They are now in Lombardy, where they were greeted with applause.
Andorra also called them, while other European countries watch them closely. In the principality, one of the 39 members of the brigade has tested positive for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, France approved the entry of Cuban doctors to its overseas territories, in need of doctors, a plan that dates back to last year but comes at an opportune time.
Some of the 39 Cuban doctors who are going to provide their services in Andorra, when they left Madrid airport a few days ago. / REUTERS
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Valencia and other Spanish provinces have shown interest in its services. The UN envoy to Syria also asked for the support of Cuba and China in the face of the pandemic.
“The coronavirus has given Cuba a new opportunity to export medical services,” says Jorge Duany, director of the Cuban Research Institute at the Florida International University.
“In Europe, there were only Cuban doctors in Portugal. Now … because of the crisis, an opportunity has opened that can leave a legacy,” said López-Levy.
Cuba has offered its humanitarian medical services since the early 1960s.
Missions in Latin America
After being hit by the economic crisis after the disappearance of the Soviet bloc, at the beginning of this century the island also began to provide paid services to countries with resources to stimulate their economy.
The US administration of Donald Trump reinforced the embargo that it has maintained against Cuba since 1962, punishing support for its socialist ally and important supplier of crude oil, the Venezuelan Nicolás Maduro.
The United States and Brazil accuse Cuba of withholding the bulk of the income these countries pay for doctors, and of subjecting professionals to a labor regime similar to “modern slavery.”
For the State Department, “host countries seeking help from Cuba for COVID-19 must examine agreements and end labor abuses.” Cuba explains that the proceeds allow it to finance its free health system.
Cuba entered 6.3 billion dollars for its medical services in 2018. But then, a change in the political map in Latin America made them lose their contracts in Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador and El Salvador.
As of March this year, the island had 28,729 collaborators in 59 countries.
Without truce during the pandemic, Washington assures that Cuba seeks, with its missions for COVID-19, to recover the money lost by closed contracts.
Cuba “does it for a fully humanitarian motivation. The diplomatic and economic benefits are extra. The Cuban program does not need to be rehabilitated,” said academic Carlos Alzugaray.
“Under the US policy of” maximum economic pressure “on Cuba, the rejection of the medical program could be interpreted as another strategy to deprive the Cuban government of material resources,” says Duany.
The United States, with the highest number of COVID-19 cases, initially questioned international aid from China and Cuba. Days later he accepted the support of Moscow to fight the pandemic in his territory.
Mental health
But the Cuban government goes further in its fight and monitoring of COVID-19 on the island, as evidenced by the plan established by the Cuban Society of Psychology through the WhatsApp application.
Bárbara Zas, the person in charge of this service to help the mental health of the citizenry, indicates that “this service is attended by approximately 24 psychologists.
The experiences so far have been very rewarding for the participants because there is at least a small space of support. ”
As of Thursday, Cuba has 212 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including six deaths. As a precaution, 2,837 people are hospitalized.
Source: RFI and AFP
