‘Cuban doctors treated over 600,000 Gambian patients in 2011’

Cuban doctors serving at various health facilities across The Gambia last year attended to 674,820 patients in the country.

This disclosure was made by Mrs Teresa Diasy Diaz Albuerne, third Secretary at the Cuban Embassy in Banjul.

Mrs Diaz made this revelation at a press briefing at the Cuban Embassy in Fajara.

According to her, in 2011 the entire Cuban general medical doctors in the country assisted 450,327 patients and each doctor attended to 7, 263 patients.

“On surgical operations, in 2011 they conducted surgical operations to 7,707 patients in the country,” she added.

She noted that on professional training of human resource in Banjul Medical School, 258 students received training from the Cuban Government.

She revealed that the relations between Cuba and Banjul remain cordial as this was also manifested by the coming to The Gambia of the Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations, H.E. Marcos Rodirguez, to attend the swearing-in ceremony of President Yahya Jammeh.

Regarding Cuba, she said: “In 2011 Cuba achieved so many things key among them were the high record number of tourists who visited Cuba that stands at 2,531,745, its world index of human development rate at 51st place among 187 nations, GDP of 2.7%, infant mortality rate of 4.9%, a stable economy that is acceptable and sustainable with the gradual recuperation of sugar cane production and domestic balance in national currency,” Diaz remarked.

Cuban’s new position in the human development report in 2011 is to be publicly presented in Guantanamo, the island’s easternmost province,” she added.

According to Mrs Diaz, the level of education and life expectancy at birth are two indicators that have let Cuba improve its position in the human development ranking.

She quoted a local UN official in Havana, Peace-Monteiro, who emphasised that the political will of the Cuban government is to continue increasing the well-being of its citizens.