Cuba Sends More Docs to Haiti
By Circles Robinson
HAVANA TIMES, Jan. 14 — The Cuban government sent to Haiti the first contingent of doctors from the Henry Reeve Medical Brigade that specializes in assisting after natural disasters and serious epidemics.
The brigade was first established to offer help to the United States when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005, an offer rejected by ex-President Bush.
Since then the brigade has been on the scene after earthquakes in Pakistan, and China, the Tsunami in Indonesia and major flooding in Guatemala and Bolivia.
Cuba already had 344 doctors and other health professionals working full time in Haiti under an agreement with the Haitian government.
Victor Geneus, Haiti’s ambassador to Havana, thanked the Cuban people and government for their assistance in such difficult times. “The Cuban doctors have a lot of experience with our reality and a lot of desire to understand and help, and that’s what we most needed,” Geneus told the Cuban News Agency.
leave it the americans to screw this up too. I knew that it made sense that cuba and venezuela would be sending aid to haiti but nary a word of it on the news here in canada which is very much influenced by the usa. after 8 bush years i guess the institutional pettiness towards the strong proud nations of cuba and venezuela is hard to break. but on the other hand if obama does reach out to cuba the disgusting republicans will say “see he is a communist”
I hope as many Cuban doctors as possible can make it by boat over to Haiti, after all, it’s just a short voyage.
The USA can’t provide the doctors needed, Cuba can. Viva Henry Reeves, great American hero of Spanish American War.
My sister Milagros is in Haiti she will give me feed back so that I can pass it to the Haitian comminuty here in Fla where we live..Now is the time to pray as my sister says this is not the time to discuss who is in position to do what. Who cares what Miamians do. Milagros is attached to Drs without borders and the caribbean nurse assoc and she is a veteran of disaster and also sa forensic nurse.. When she heard she hooped a flt to Cuba to see if our fam was ok rhen she flew to PRico to meet with her org..it took a full 36 hrs before she was able to land she is ok we have communicated
Cuba is much underrepresented in the Miami area when they do helping things.
It is great that Cuba is in a postion to help. No society is perfect of course but the cubans are to be admired for the collective spirit and willingness to help, when too often they have to face hardships imposed by the US blocade
I worked with Henry Reeve Brigade in Bolivia during the flood in 2006. The group is brilliant, professional and one of Cuba’s best assets. Their organization and approach to the Haiti crisis will be invaluable. Their knowledge of what is needed in a crisis of this magnitude is key. They foresee problems yet to come and plan accordingly to save lives. Bless the Henry Reeve Brigade.