PAHO Calls on Nations to Follow Cuba's Example
- Submitted by: admin
- Health and Medicine
- 06 / 01 / 2010
HAVANA, Cuba, May 31 (acn) The representative of the Development Program of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Chilean Cristian Morales, called on the nations of the world to follow the footsteps of Cuba and Venezuela in their medical assistance to Haiti.
In an exclusive interview with Prensa Latina news agency, Morales believes that the aid offered to Haiti does not only currently require material and human support but what is important is to train Haitian health professionals in the future committed to the areas where they were born.
The Pan American Health Organization is currently working together with the Health Ministry of the poorest nation in the hemisphere to take up the Haitian doctors that studied in Cuba and integrate them where most needed in order to assist the population, he stressed.
Morales warned that the Pan American Health Organization supports what Cuba does in this sense, and also recognized the work carried out by Venezuela which has been also been training Haitian health professionals.
They have not graduated, but there are many in Venezuela, studying and within a couple of years we can count on them, which is very important, said the PAHO representative.
For Morales, what would be ideal is for other nations to imitate Cuba and Venezuela and train technicians, because Haiti will need them in the future.
Cuba’s health cooperation with Haiti began in 1998, a little after the passing of Hurricane George. This cooperation multiplied last January, after Haiti suffered the devastating earthquake.
The quake left over 220 000 people dead, 300 000 injured and almost one million and a half without homes.
The Cuban health personnels offered their assistance from the first moment of the earthquake not only in the Haitian capital but in neighboring cities.
In an exclusive interview with Prensa Latina news agency, Morales believes that the aid offered to Haiti does not only currently require material and human support but what is important is to train Haitian health professionals in the future committed to the areas where they were born.
The Pan American Health Organization is currently working together with the Health Ministry of the poorest nation in the hemisphere to take up the Haitian doctors that studied in Cuba and integrate them where most needed in order to assist the population, he stressed.
Morales warned that the Pan American Health Organization supports what Cuba does in this sense, and also recognized the work carried out by Venezuela which has been also been training Haitian health professionals.
They have not graduated, but there are many in Venezuela, studying and within a couple of years we can count on them, which is very important, said the PAHO representative.
For Morales, what would be ideal is for other nations to imitate Cuba and Venezuela and train technicians, because Haiti will need them in the future.
Cuba’s health cooperation with Haiti began in 1998, a little after the passing of Hurricane George. This cooperation multiplied last January, after Haiti suffered the devastating earthquake.
The quake left over 220 000 people dead, 300 000 injured and almost one million and a half without homes.
The Cuban health personnels offered their assistance from the first moment of the earthquake not only in the Haitian capital but in neighboring cities.
Source: Yahoo
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