–  Fidel Castro reflects on cholera tragedy
CUBA’S latest inspiring example of commitment to the suffering masses in Haiti is the rushing, this past weekend, of an additional 300 doctors, nurses and health technicians to that earthquake wrecked, cholera-plagued  and poverty-stricken nation of our Caribbean Community (Caricom).

This demonstration of practical solidarity, characteristic of the government and people of Cuba in responding to human tragedies across continents, has resulted from an international appeal by Valerie Amos, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.

As Haitians continued burying their dead from the cholera epidemic- estimated at some 2,000- and others are caught up in political conflicts over allegations of electoral fraud at last Sunday’s presidential and parliamentary elections, the desperate need for doctors and medical personnel continues to drive the UN appeal and the humanitarian response such as Cuba’s.

Disclosure of the latest batch of Cuban doctors, nurses and technicians came in a statement released in Havana at the weekend and focused on ‘Reflections on Haiti–Underdevelopment and Genocide’ by Fidel Castro.

The legendary former President of that Caribbean nation that continues to survive the horrendous social and economic consequences of a 48-year-old economic blockade by the United States of America, said that his country’s additional 300 medical personnel, would now add up to more than 1,200 (twelve hundred) doctors, nurses and health workers in Haiti.

Some of the Cuban medical teams were working in Haitian communities long before last January’s horrific earthquake disaster and the spread of the cholera epidemic from October.

UN’S PLEA
The Cuban leader noted how discouraging it was to learn last week from UN Under-Secretary-General, Amos, that “so far less than ten percent” of an estimated emergency need of US$164 million had been realised.

Castro subsequently noted that as of  November 27 (eve of last Sunday’s controversial elections), “there had not been a single cholera death in seven days within the thirty seven (37) treatment centres being run by the Cuban Medical Mission in Haiti…”

There could be no confirmation from the Caricom Secretariat yesterday on the current number of doctors and health workers mobilised for services in Haiti since the outbreak of cholera.

In the unfolding tragedies of Haiti, the earthquake of January destroyed the water and sewer network wherever they had existed, and where millions live in tents and often lacking latrines and “everything gets mixed up together…”.

In embracing the plea of the UN’s officials for quick and meaningful responses with emergency assistance of medical personnel and resources, the former leader of Cuba for some half a century, said that only ten percent of affected Haitians living outside of the capital, Port-au-Prince, had received supplies of clean water and soap.

In reporting on the work of the Cuban Medical Brigade in Haiti, now reinforced with last weekend’s contingent of some 300 doctors and nurses and health workers of the “Henry Reeves Brigade”, Castro explained:

“Almost forty percent of the sick have been looked after by members of the Cuban Medical Brigade which has 965 doctors, nurses and technicians who have managed to reduce the number of dead (from cholera) to less than one (for every one hundred).”

In a general appeal, Castro stressed that it was “of vital importance that we avoid the epidemic extending to other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean because, in today’s circumstances, this would cause extraordinary harm to the nations in this hemisphere…”.

“We urgently need to seek efficient and rapid solutions in the fight against that epidemic…,” Castro said.