DIRECTOR-GENERAL of the Health Ministry, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo has joined Cuban Ambassador to Guyana, Narciso Reinaldo Socorro and a team to welcome the 56-member Cuban Medical Brigade to Guyana. The brigade arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) early Monday morning.
In his welcome address, Dr. Mahadeo said the government was thankful for Cuba’s support, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our heartfelt thanks for taking up the challenge, for being here, to come to serve Guyana presently at this time of crisis, a pandemic. We have laboratory technologists, pharmacists, we have an entire medical team, a complete brigade and you will be serving us, the Guyanese people, across the country.

“I take his opportunity on behalf of our President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and on behalf of our Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, to welcome all of you and to tell you that we will try our best to make your life comfortable,” he said.
The brigade includes 20 intensivists who will lend support primarily to the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, medical specialists in general surgery, anaesthesiology, internal medicine, gynaecology, obstetrics and paediatrics.

The group also includes nurses, pharmacists and laboratory technicians.
Dr. Mahadeo said the intensivists will also support the Suddie Regional Hospital and lend support to the treatment of COVID cases in Regions Six, Nine and One.  From this group, he said programmes will also be run for pharmacy and laboratory technicians.
“So, with this brigade, we will be able to send more specialists in other regions than the traditional regions to start training in pharmacy assistants, laboratory technicians and so on. So, this batch here, we should be able to make some strides that we had not made before with the composition.”
Dr. Mahadeo said Cuban Medical Brigade has been coming to Guyana for about 44 years and the government continues to be grateful to the government and people of Cuba for their service. On Friday, Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony and a team from his ministry bade farewell to the last brigade, which served Guyana for approximately four years. (DPI)