Cuba's solidarity with Lesotho wears white

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9 April 2020

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By Manuel Vazquez de la Torre Maseru, April 9 (Prensa Latina) Although Lesotho has not yet reported Covid-19 cases, Cuba´s medical brigade in this African nation does not neglect any preventive action in its work to serve the needy local population.

As Yamisleydis Ruiz Marache, head of the Cuban medical mission, explained to Prensa Latina, 13 of the 14 Cuban doctors in this country are working at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, in O.P.D. of Medicine, Pediatrics, Gynecology, Surgery and Emergency Room.

The other specialist works at Home Health Center, located in this capital too, at an out-patient department of Medicine.

But regardless of specialty or physical location, all Cuban health workers are using the strongly recommended prevention means to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, such as face shields (masks), gloves, hand-washing, and the use of alcohol-based solutions.

Cuba's current medical collaboration with Lesotho has been established on April 2, 2002, in Havana, by a health agreement between the ministers of health of both nations, Ruiz Marache said.

Then, some priorities for cooperation to comprehensive primary and secondary healthcare, technical assistance, education and training of human resources, administration and management of health programs, among others, were conducted.

In addition, it was established that a group of Cuban doctors would provide medical services in regions where specialized healthcare provided to population does not exist, or is poor.

In this way, on July 25, 2002, the first 17 Cuban doctors arrived in Lesotho. This medical brigade reached 40 members, most of them specialists in General Comprehensive Medicine.

Thus, at the end of December 2017, a total of six Cuban medical brigades have provided their services in Lesotho: about 90 doctors in 16 years.

During this period, Ruiz Marache recalled, 5,358 major surgeries and 7,553 deliveries have been conducted, and over 26,000 lives have been treated and saved.

Now, he announces, new agreements already signed will allow to increase the toll of Cuban doctors in Lesotho.