Cuba’s first medical collaboration in the world is recalled

Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez recalled the sending, 61 years ago, of the first medical collaboration brigade of his country abroad.

In his profile on the social network X, the Cuban Foreign Minister highlighted these six decades, in which those specialists performed 16,534,286 surgeries and offered 2 billion 242 million consultations in 165 countries.

Our health personnel are an example of solidarity and dedication to saving lives, Rodriguez said in his message.

The Caribbean nation’s Minister of Health, José Ángel Portal, also recalled that since that first international mission in Algeria, more than 600,000 health workers have provided their services in all latitudes with sensitivity, heroism, dedication and professionalism.

May 23, 1963 marked a milestone in Cuba’s history. On that day, a plane transported 29 doctors, four stomatologists, 14 nurses and seven health technicians to Algeria to provide permanent services to that nation, Michael Cabrera, director of the Central Unit of Medical Collaboration, recalled today to Granma newspaper.

Cabrera affirmed that 58 brigades of Cuban health specialists collaborated in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in 42 countries.

At present, more than 22,600 collaborators on the island provide these services, grouped into 54 brigades, which respond to the needs expressed by each of the governments that request their services.