Solidarity Organizations Send Pacemakers to Cuba

Solidarity organizations in the USA, Europe and Canada sent Cuba 150 pacemakers out of a first donation batch of such devices which are vital for life but whose purchase by Cuba is hindered by the US blockade.

The US-based Global Health Partners NGO and the Saving Lives Coalition and Medi-Cuba Europa lead a fundraising campaign backed by solidarity organizations in those regions plus Canada.

Calls by the activists on social media encourage individual contributions to purchase the pacemakers, which are valued at 500 or 900 dollars each according to type. The objective is to collect at least 250 thousand dollars to purchase over 300 pacemakers this year. https://ghpartners.org/

The director of the Cuban Friendship Institute Leima Martinez said that the Cuban people deeply appreciate this contribution because although it does not meet all the demand here, it is an incalculable benefit to save lives and improve the quality of life of many sick persons.

Leima recalled that this campaign is one of many projects supporting the Cuban health system, backed by solidarity networks such as the US National Network on Cuba and the Canadian Network on Cuba, as well as other organizations in Europe plus Cuban nationals residing abroad.

Among the supportive associations is the US-based Hatuey, which collects funds to purchase cytostatic products for Cuban pediatric hospitals, and the Canada-based Cubacan Care which sends surgical items to the island.