Sixteen healthcare professionals, members of the Henry Reeve contingent, and five specialists from the ministries of Construction and Energy, who responded to a call for aid from the Commonwealth of Dominica following Tropical Storm Erika, returned to Cuba, October 13.
In what they described as a short but valuable mission, the Cuban collaborators offered medical assistance in six regions of the country, those most affected by the heavy rainfall.
Dr. Norberto Ramos, who led the group, commented that they had left as a brigade, but were returning as a family. He emphasized the support they had received from Cuba’s diplomatic staff in Dominica and the excellent relations established with doctors and paramedics in the country, many of whom had graduated from the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana.
Ramos reported that the principal health problems they addressed were related to high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and accidents caused by the storm, which damaged roads and destroyed bridges.
Civil engineers Juan Antonio León and Pedro González took on the task of evaluating the damage to infrastructure in the mountainous country and coming up with technical solutions, working in conjunction with the Ministry of Public Works.
Remaining in Dominica are 25 Cuban health care professionals offering their services as part of an agreement between the country’s government and Cuba’s.
(Granma)