Cuba to Send First 200 Doctors to Ecuador

HAVANA TIMES — The health ministers from Cuba and Ecuador signed this weekend in Quito an agreement to hire the services of Cuban doctors in the South American nation, reported Prensa Latina.

Ecuadorian Health Minister Carina Vance said the first group of 200 Cuban doctors is the advance group of what will be a thousand, as requested by President Rafael Correa.

The Cubans will also help train five thousand general practitioners that Ecuador hopes to have ready to work by 2017. In addition, Cuban epidemiologists will arrive to assist their Ecuadorian colleagues.

Other agreements signed established that specialists in ophthalmology working for many years in the country as part of Operation Miracle will now have direct contracts with the Ministry of Health.

Tens of thousands of Cuban doctors are currently working in more than 60 countries under agreements between governments.