Haitian President Describes Cuban Assistance as Excellent HAVANA, July 3, 2010.- Haitian President Rene Preval said that Cuba’s assistance to his country —before and after the earthquake that hit this Caribbean nation last January 12— has been excellent. Preval, who arrived on Thursday night in Cuba for a working visit, participated in a meeting with a Cuban governmental commission led by VP Esteban Lazo on Friday. The purpose of the Haitian leader´s visit is to analyze the implementation of the assistance programs. He said, “Cuba did not wait for the earthquake that destroyed us. The Cuban State has been working with us and helping us for many years. Its assistance is excellent.” After saying that 500 Haitian doctors have graduated from Cuban education centers, Haiti’s Health Minister Alex Larsen pointed out that 67 others will graduate this year and announced that Cuba has granted 30 more medical school scholarships to Haitian youth. He added that 10 centers for comprehensive diagnosis have been built by Cuba with Venezuelan funding in Haiti while the 32 hospitals that were damaged by the earthquake are being renovated and four others are being built as part of a program that aims at the improvement of the Haitian health system. In addition, the Haitian Agriculture Minister, Joanas Gue, referred to the training of Haitian veterinarians in Cuba and said that 45 veterinarians trained in Cuba are already working in Haiti. Also present at the meeting were the Cuban ministers of Public Health, Jose Ramon Balaguer, and Foreign Trade and Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca. Rene Preval and his accompanying delegation will also visit Venezuela next Thursday. (Cubaminrex -RHC) |