DEPUTY MINISTER COMMENDS CUBAN MEDICAL BRIGADE

The Cuban Medical Brigade has since 1982 performed 1, 748,000 surgeries to save the lives of Ghanaians.
The brigade, which started with 62 medical doctors in 1982, now has 200 of them.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Benjamin Kumbour, who disclosed this at the launch of activities in Accra to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between Ghana and Cuba in Accra at the weekend, said the Cuban government was also assisting the Tamale Teaching Hospital with 12 professors who teach medicine.
He said many regions had benefited from the services of the doctors. There are 17 in the Eastern Region, 22 in Ashanti, 13 in Greater Accra, 25 in Central, 33 in Northern, 18 in Upper East and 15 in Western Region.
Dr Kumbuor said the arrival of the Cuban Medical Brigade had contributed to the reduction of maternal and infant mortality especially in the rural areas of the country and added that the two countries shared the same objectives of ensuring social fairness and equality of opportunity as well as the elimination of illiteracy in the country.
Dr Kumbour said despite the economic and financial blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States, Cuba had succeeded in ensuring total employment and security for its citizens.
He appealed to Ghanaian workers, especially health professionals and teachers to ensure that Cuba’s achievements in the health and education sectors are replicated by them to reduce the squalor, poverty and ignorance among the populace.
The Cuban Ambassador to Ghana, Dr Miguel Perez Cruz, said currently the doctor-patient ratio in Cuba was one to 200 patients and notwithstanding the economic and financial blockade, the Cuban Government had surmounted the scourge of illiteracy and established schools to train other nationals in medicine and engineering.
He said about 13,000 students, some of whom were from Ghana, have had the opportunity to study in some of the best schools in Cuba.
Dr Cruz appealed to the international community to bring more pressure to bear on the United States to stop the economic blockade since it did not conform to international law.