Mexico City, March 31 (Prensa Latina) Specialists from the Cuban medical brigade are helping to ensure coverage of essential health services in hospitals and other facilities in Mexico, without displacing local professionals.
The presence of the island’s more than three thousand doctors in these lands is part of a government and international cooperation agreement; their positions, salaries, and social security in Cuba are guaranteed, while their living, working, and subsistence conditions in Mexico are protected.
One of these specialists, ophthalmologist Magdevis Ruiz, arrived in July of last year and began working in the central state of Hidalgo, specifically at the Tulancingo Bravo General Hospital, about 112 kilometers from Mexico City.
“This specialty hadn’t been available at the hospital for about seven years, and patients had to travel to the state capital for care, with appointments taking very long, or else seek private care, and not everyone had the financial resources,” he says.
In an interview with Prensa Latina, the doctor explained that this is why they were experiencing many complications associated with the lack of care, especially diabetic patients with advanced stages of diabetic retinopathy.
With his presence at the health institution, he began treating children, pregnant women, and adults in general, as well as those arriving at the emergency room for purely ophthalmological conditions or other specialized needs.
Cuban pediatrician Marité Llerena arrived on September 9, 2022, in the southern state of Campeche, located more than a thousand kilometers from Mexico City, where she began courses to learn about protocols and other specifics.
We were then placed in different municipalities in the state, “the ones most lacking in specialized care,” says the doctor, who has since worked at the Pedro Lara y Lara Community Hospital of Hopelchén.
“It has always been the opinion of the hospital’s governing body that specialized medical care has recovered to almost 100 percent since we began operating, and they are very grateful for that,” Llerena adds, highlighting the saving of a large number of lives.
The doctor also mentions the integration with the Mexican staff and the resulting teamwork and highly satisfactory results, which are also appreciated by patients and their families, who express their gratitude for the quality and warmth of the care provided.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has repeatedly highlighted the work of Cuban doctors in Mexico.
“Now that I’ve been traveling around the country, visiting some health centers, I’ve seen the participation, how they’re working, and how grateful people are for their participation in providing coverage to some specialty,” the president said at a recent press conference.
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