–in Barbados
THE CARIBBEAN nation that has done and continues to do the most for Haitians in the vital area of medical assistance—before and since the devastation of the January 12 earthquake—is, undoubtedly Cuba. But it is difficult to know about this if you depend on news coverage from the leading media networks of the USA in particular, including CNN.
The Cuban government, as a matter of policy, is not in the habit of competing with others in  trumpeting its assistance–health, education, engineering and agriculture—to countries of the Caribbean and Latin America.
However, as the most brutally affected economy in this hemisphere from the embargo imposed by America for some 48 years, Cuba has distinguished itself by the significant aid contributions to Caribbean Community states, including Haiti.
Now, amid the multiplicity of regional and international efforts to help in providing emergency relief aid as well as in mobilising the massive financial assistance required for national reconstruction, (at least US$14B according to the latest assessment by the Inter-American Development Bank), the Middle Eastern news network, Al-Jazeera, reputedly a significant competitor to the traditional big names in international media businesses, has ensured a major focus in coverage on Haiti’s problems and challenges.
In this context its English-language news service released earlier in the week a special report by its writer, Tom Fawthrop, on Cuba’s assistance to crisis-plagued-Haiti, and how its much-needed medical aid response to the earthquake nightmare is being ignored by mainstream US media.
Coincidentally, both Cuba and Al-Jazeera had their respective high profile roles in media coverage and emergency medical aid in the horrendous Asian tsunami disaster five years ago.
Dating back to a medical cooperation agreement with Haiti in 1998, Cuba has succinctly pointed out: “We did not arrive; we were there” (with doctors and nurses, equipment and supplies) long before the earthquake.
Before the earthquake struck, some 344 Cuban health professionals were already present in Haiti providing primary care and obstetrical services as well as operating to restore the sight of Haitians blinded by eye diseases. Incidentally, this unique eye-care service is also being provided, at various levels, by Cuba to CARICOM states, including Guyana, in accordance with its concept of and commitment to “people-to-people solidarity”.
Following the earthquake, as reported by Al-Jazeera, “more doctors were flown into Haiti as part of the ‘rapid response ‘Henry Reeve Medical Brigade’ of disaster specialists with their extensive experience in dealing with the aftermath of earthquakes, having responded to such  disasters in China, Indonesia and Pakistan…”
Consistent with its integrity as an emergency aid provider, Cuba was keen to also record the cooperation it has received from fraternal hemispheric governments, such as Venezuela, Chile, Spain, Mexico, Colombia and Canada for its team of doctors to provide medical care in three revamped and five field hospitals, as well as five diagnostic centres to total 22 different care centres.
Richard Gott, the (UK) ‘Guardian’ newspaper’s former foreign editor and a Latin American specialist, is quoted as observing: “Western media are programmed to be indifferent to aid that comes from unexpected places. In the Haitian case, the (western) media have ignored not just the Cuban contribution, but also the efforts made by other Latin American countries…”  I would count among them Brazil, Venezuela and Nicaragua as offering varying levels of assistance.