HuffPo: Cuba's Rescue Effort in Haiti

[flamingdem]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/murray-fromson/cubas-rescue-effort-in-ha_b_426631.html

Murray Fromson

Fromsonfile.com


While the focus of the enormous rescue and assistance effort in Haiti has been on the part played by the United States, dozens of other countries and non-government agencies have made major contributions to a massive humanitarian gesture to relieve the suffering of the island's population. Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela are participating in the relief effort. Brazil reportedly lost at least 14 officers attached to the UN Mission. Cuba has sent ten tons of medications. Since 1998, Cuba's health cooperation with Haiti has made it possible for 6,000 doctors, paramedics and health technicians to work there. Besides, 450 young Haitians have graduated as doctors from Cuban colleges, free of charge, in the past 12 years.

Ever since I met Martin Hacthoun in New York 25 years ago, he was a Cuban journalist, covering the United Nations. But we have maintained our friendship ever since then, either in Havana or when he was based in Vietnam and India, working for Prensa Latina, Cuba's national news agency. Martin returned home last year and I emailed him to determine the extent of help the Cubans were providing their nearest stricken neighbors that has not been reported in the United States. Here was his reply:

More than 400 Cuban specialists, 344 of them doctors and paramedics, have been a part of a recent humanitarian program in Haiti, jointly sponsored by the United Nations and the Cuban government. But in the wake of last Tuesday's disaster, the largest earthquake ever to hit the Caribbean Basin, Cuba dispatched another team of 60 doctors, health technicians and medications to join the doctors on the ground in Haiti, 50 miles away. The specialists are experts in coping with natural disasters. The team then joined the Cuban doctors already on the ground to help the victims. Three of the Cubans, who were in Haiti at the time of the violent tremor were injured, one seriously. A Cuban television correspondent and a reporter of the National Information Agency (AIN) flew together with the doctors to cover the tragedy. We beefed up our coverage by moving our man in the Dominican Republic, to Port au Prince. There's extensive coverage, including a detailed Cuban TV report scheduled for tonight.


The quake was felt in Cuba's most eastern provinces, particularly the old city of Baracoa. There was no damage, but miraculously in just one hour, 50,000 people were evacuated to high land for fear of a tsunami. Fortunately it did not materialize. Nonetheless, it was a remarkable feat of logistics. But once the Cuban Seismology Institute and Civil Defense determined there was no danger, the evacuees were returned home to resume their daily lives.

[Judi Lynn]

1. Astounding the Cuban people were so organized, diligent they all made it to high ground

in less than an hour as a response to the threat of sunami. Damn! That's incredible, but if anyone could have managed it, it would be the Cuban people.

Thanks for posting this info.

[Downwinder]

2. All I can say is that if I am ever in need of disaster relief,

I hope the Cubans show up rather than the US. I want someone who can do something other than push a pencil or wait for a pencil to be pushed. There, I'm dating myself, when is the last time you saw a pencil?

[PavePusher]

3. Seriously?

Please, go back to the kids table.

[Downwinder]

4. The US has become proof positive of the peter principle.

Of the two largest engineering companies, one of them can't wire a bathroom properly, the other can't run a water company.

[EFerrari]

5. Ouch.

[Judi Lynn]

6. You've got that right. What a brilliant idea Republicans had in privatising

the support work to make money for Haliburton, and KBR. Stroke of genius.

[Vidar]

7. K&R.

[dipsydoodle]

8. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Duende azul]

9. K & R

[Judi Lynn]

10. Cuban doctors are known throughout the world for their great work in emergencies and in areas

in which people simply have NO access to medical help otherwise. Nothing but praise where they have gone. They are completely ignored here, of course! They represent a country which educates them completely, and educates them very well from pre-school through their medical schooling at NO cost to the students or their families.

Pure blasphemy to a profit first, above all else culture, isn't it?

Beautiful learning 450 Haitian doctors graduated from the School of Medicine in Havana. Their "repayment" for their education will be their promise to use what they have learned in an area at home, where they are badly needed for an agreed upon period of time.

This same promise is made by US American students who've graduated there, as well, as they return to the US and offer their services to the poor who have no means to obtain services from medical doctors locally. Most of the US American doctors work in inner cities and similar poverty-stricken areas, some of them returning to Native America communities, some to communities of immigrant workers, some to poverty-blighted areas like Appalachia.

Thair system quickly reveals those who choose medicine to enrich themselves, or to truly help their fellw men/women. As we know, there's a massive effort to locate Cuban doctors and seduce them with offers of wealth, just like the Cuban athletes, dancers, singers, etc. if they will forsake their Cuban connections and moouve to the U.S. It's been going on for years, and the great majority of people who remain true to their calling clearly indicates people of conscience find meaning and fulfillment in truly serving those who need them.

You may recall the loud noise trumpeted in the corporate media when agents can find a way to persuade them to leave service to go to the US, but those same media outlets never mention the fact that Cuba has never changed its way of producing fine doctors, anyway, considering the accumulated work done in the world certainly worth the loss when some of them bolt with their free educations for "greener" pastures.

It's always great to see it when some media source actually discusses their efforts. Thanks, again, for the info.