Comprehensive Program for Haiti Presented in Geneva SUIZA, Mar 3, 2010. - The member states of the Bolivarian Alliance for the People of Our America (ALBA) and the Haitian Government have submitted to the OMS in Geneva a comprehensive program for reconstructing the health system of that Caribbean nation. In the face of the devastation the earthquake caused in Haiti last January 12, ALBA and the Haitian Administration agreed to jointly launch the initiative which has already explained to the World Health Organization. On behalf of the plan promoters, the Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez talked about it with the OMS General Director Margaret Chan at that organization’s headquarters in Geneva. Hours before, the exhibition of a documentary film on the medical help to Haiti had been welcomed with a standing ovation. Many ambassadors, diplomats and ONG representatives packed the 22nd Hall of the Palais des Nations to watch the film. Rodriguez recalled that when the quake jolted Haiti Cuba had already there a medical team, which was substantially augmented and there are now 1,600 health specialists providing care to the Haitian people. "Many of them are students or graduates from the Latin American School of Medicine, based in Havana, who are working at 15 multipurpose hospitals, while another 30 health centers are being established with Venezuela’s cooperation", the Cuban FM said. He added that besides the Cuban help, Venezuela and ALBA member states, Namibia and Norway have also made valuable contributions on this field. Moreover, during his recent visit to Havana Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva agreed to offer his country’s support to set up 20 small primary care hospitals in Haiti. In the film, young graduates and advanced medicine students from Chile, Mexico, Bolivia, Haiti, Guatemala, Colombia and the USA extolled the initiative to create the "Henry Reeve" contingent to aid the Haitian people. Visibly moved, they highlighted the remarks of the leader of the Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro when he told them they would be an Army of White Gowns of genuine international solidarity. (Cubaminrex - Prensa Latina)
|