KN article on Cuban doctors inaccurate and not objective or balanced

WITH regards to the article published September 11 on Cuban doctors by the Kaieteur News (KN). It is difficult to understand that in the context of the fraternal relations enjoyed by the Governments and peoples of Guyana and Cuba, this media house published inaccurate information, neither objective nor balanced, with bad intention, about the Cuban collaborators. This leaves a lot to say about the commitment of journalists and this media house to bring the truth to their readers.

From the triumph of the Cuban Revolution on January 1, 1959, the country drew a policy of international cooperation and solidarity with many peoples. As early as May 23, 1963, the Cuban Medical collaboration started officially after sending to the Republic of Algeria, 55 health collaborators to fulfill an internationalist mission. To date more than 132,000 professionals have offered their services in other countries and there are over 50,000 internationalist workers of which 25,000 are doctors.
Obviously, we’ve also developed strong ties of cooperation with our Guyanese brothers. The health sector on which the infamous article was written, the following information is provided.
Since 1976 the sending of health cooperators to Guyana began. The current Cuban Medical Brigade is integrated by 167 members, present in six of the ten regions of the country. They work in four Integral Diagnostic Centres and also provide assistance in various hospitals and health centres. Additionally, in 2009 the Ophthalmologic Centre was opened in Region 6, Port Mourant, with surgical facilities.
Consequently, hundreds of health collaborators have been in this friendly country, saving lives and helping to improve, modestly, the health levels of Guyanese brothers, among other notable results.
My country, in addition to the global challenges that developing countries face has had to battle with the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the Government of the United States for over 50 years; but in spite of that, it has also contributed to the training of human resources in Guyana, resulting in the graduation of about 500 Guyanese doctors and there will be more than 800 in about two years.
Given these objective facts that respond to the brotherhood and mutual support between two governments and peoples, is that it is almost unthinkable the above mentioned newspaper publication.
The Cuban collaborators are formed in a socialist system where there is no reason to see the patient as a commodity or customer, and where every person has the right to health from birth to death, without distinction. They are persons who are born of the people, not of elites, so they are able to adapt to limitations and difficult circumstances, have the spirit of transforming the medium, intervening from the point of view of health in communities and to establish a healthy and friendly doctor-patient relationship. This humanism characterises these persons.
If the person who wrote the infamous article personally knows the Cuban collaborators he/she would realise this, and would not hesitate to defend the greatest work that every day these people execute away from their homeland of their friends and family, but with the satisfaction of helping and fight together for the welfare of the Guyanese people, and for the Big Homeland.
If the author decides to write only two articles on each of these collaborators who sacrifice every day, he could get beautiful stories to publish for almost a full year, and could learn from the values that, as individuals, families and social groups, many people in this world want to multiply in our societies for the triumph of good and not evil and because our children and the future generations should be better than today.
Meet the members of the Cuban Medical Brigade and of the Cuban State Mission in Guyana and you will see and learn about principles, convictions and courage among other things that surely will remove your doubts or manipulations received from others about the integrity of the good Cubans.
By the way, September 11 would have been an appropriate day for this newspaper to publish other valuable things about the action of the Cuban health, for example; the gratitude that the Director General of the World Health Organisation, Margaret Chan, gave to Cuban President Raul Castro Ruz for being the first country to respond to the call of the United Nations and the World Health Organisation to fight against Ebola in West Africa. A contingent of 165 health collaborators was sent to face this task.
After almost a year of having the honour to represent my country and my people in Guyana, it is difficult to explain how it feels when, at the moment to reach any corner of this country and from the heart of her noblest sons to the most illustrious, appear expressions of satisfaction and gratitude for Cuba, for the Commander-in-Chief, Fidel Castro, for its President Raúl and for the solidarity and internationalism of the Cuban people.
JULIO CESAR GONZALEZ MARCHANTE
Ambassador of Cuba

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