Online exchange with the media by Yaira Jiménez Roig, Director of Communications of MINREX, and Dr. Jorge Delgado Bustillo, Director of the Central Unit of Medical Cooperation of MINSAP.
Good morning
We are here once again to answer the questions posed by journalists from all over the world with regard to recent events in which our country decided to discontinue its participation in the “More Doctors for Brazil” Program.
I remind you that we are broadcasting live, in Spanish, and that, once this transmission concludes, we will be airing it in Portuguese and English.
This time we will address some issues related to the development and evolution of Cuba’s medical cooperation.
It is important to go to the essentials, to look at figures and analyze the results to be able to understand the reason behind the presence of Cuban health professionals in Brazil and elsewhere in the world where they offer their services.
First I would like to emphasize that Cuba’s National Health System is based on solid and broadly validated principles.
In Cuba, health care is considered a right of the people. It is a universal, free of charge and quality service that is also a responsibility of the State.
Health care services are provided equally to the entire population. Health practice is based on solid scientific evidence and all actions are prevention-oriented. Social participation is inherent to the management and development of health services.
As part of that system, we can not but mention international cooperation, which is built upon established ethical standards and a profoundly humanistic, selfless and altruistic praxis.
It is only on the basis of these principles that Cuba has been able to achieve, after 55 years, the results that it can exhibit today.
Cuban professionals have accomplished 600 000 internationalist missions in 164 countries, which have involved the participation of more than 400 000 health workers who, in quite a few cases, have carried out this task more than once.
Only in 2018, 36 000 cooperation workers have been offering their services in 67 countries. Of them, 18 000 -that is, half of the overall total- are medical doctors.
Therefore:
Cuba’s international cooperation develops by combining the potential of all the countries involved, following a not-for-profit principle and taking into account the existing differences and asymmetries.
The presence of our cooperation workers in 67 nations of the world has responded to the express requests of recipient countries and has always been based on a cooperative agreement signed by competent institutions and consistent with the cooperation vocation Cuba has shown during the last 60 years. In some cases this has included the participation of such organizations as the World Health Organization and the Pan-American Health Organization.
The international cooperation that Cuba offers relies on the principles of solidarity and mutual benefit. This is an essential aspect of the foreign policy of the Revolution. These actions contribute to the economic and social development of our country.
Cuba’s cooperation is offered without political preconditions and with absolute respect for the principles of International Law, that is to say, with absolute respect for the sovereignty, laws, culture, religion and self-determination of States. It is not used as a political instrument to interfere in the internal affairs of States.
Health professionals and technicians devoted particularly to primary health care take part in this cooperation on a voluntary basis. They offer their services to the entire population, regardless of their race, religious beliefs and ideology, without getting involved in domestic politics issues and observing the laws and customs of the countries where they work.
Given its institutional character, it is intended to benefit as many persons as possible and is developed in the most remote and neglected areas, where this service is not provided by the local institutions.
This selfless assistance that is offered in solidarity with other peoples of the world contributes to improve and strengthen the National Health System. It allows Cuban health professionals to gain more experience, awareness and be more dedicated and committed to themselves, their families and the people.
Cuba’s medical cooperation is a cardinal element in the international recognition and respect earned by our country.
No money in the world can buy what our health professionals are doing. They undoubtedly carry with them the humanistic essence of the Revolution.
We will now answer some of the questions that we have received through the email vocero@minrex.gob.cu (link sends e-mail) that we have made available to the media.
We will now go for a short break and we will come back immediately after that.
I am joined on this broadcast by Dr. Jorge Delgado Bustillo, director of the Central Unit of Medical Cooperation of the Ministry of Public Health Care of Cuba.
We have grouped the questions we have received at our email address vocero@minrex.gob.cu (link sends e-mail), as the interests raised by the media repeat themselves.
The first question that has been raised by several Brazilian reporters and other international media is concerning the stipend Cuban doctors receive, and they’re asking for more information on the contribution to Cuba by each doctor through their internationalist mission.
Our internationalist doctors, as your rightly pointed out, have served in 164 countries. They have earned tremendous prestige because what they have been carrying is humanism, solidarity and altruism. They have become very close to their patients, with the peoples. They have done so in Brazil but also in many other around the world.
It must be taken into account that 1.7 billion medical consultations have been provided by our professional during all these years of medical missions. They have been handled directly, tending the patients with humanism, sensitivity. As we do here in Cuba, we do elsewhere.
In Brazil, our doctors have gone to serve in the most remote, harder-to-reach areas. The places that we know that the local doctors or other doctors in the More Doctors for Brazil program would not go to. The guarantee has always been that the Cuban doctors would go and serve in those places.
One hundred and thirteen million medical consultations have been provided in Brazil by our doctors. With high-impact results.
We know of studies that have been conducted, which indicate that 95% of the population have rated as positive the medical care provided by the Cubans, specifically the Cuban doctors.
Certainly, in Cuba, all family doctors, all health professionals get their salaries. In Cuba we receive our salaries when we serve on internationalist missions, and abroad, we get a stipend. This is important.
In Cuba, all is guaranteed for the families, the parents, the mothers, the children. Free medical care, all social security is guaranteed so that these doctors fulfill their duty, calmly, focused on their work. Because they know the family and the State have got their back.
Certain level of revenue is therefore generated as a result of this medical cooperation in Brazil. What is it for? To sustain our free-of-charge, universal health system, that covers the entire country. Being a country under a blockade, it becomes increasingly difficult for us to get inputs, advanced technology, state-of-the-art medications that are used to save lives. That costs money.
What our people have to do is just go to receive health care. They never have to spend a cent on it. It’s not only Brazil, from other countries we also receive revenue that is used to make our national health system more robust.
Nineteen thousand, two hundred and twenty-five general practitioners, or family doctors, as we call them, have served in Brazil.
Very well. The media has also expressed interest on the numbers of the doctors that have arrived in Cuba. Could you give us an update on how many health professionals have already returned? And particularly, how this process is organized and how long it is expected to take?
Well, as we speak, flight number nine has arrived, coming from Sao Paulo. Already, 1875 General Comprehensive Medicine specialists have returned to the country.
They have come back in an orderly and safe manner. They are being brought together in several hubs in Brazil, namely, Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Manaos and Salvador de Bahia.
It so happens that the first flight headed for Salvador de Bahia left today and it will come back tomorrow night. We can say in all safety that all controls, all the planning are being done there.
When they arrive in our Jose Martí International Airport, there’s an official welcoming ceremony with the attendance of Government and Party authorities, our people, officials from several institutions.
Everything is organized so that such a safe return is safe both there as well as here. They are welcomed with the dignity they have shown as they have fulfilled their duty, how they have come back, knowing that they have done their duty and regretting to have left that people. But not because they wanted. They wish they could stay there, they’re torn. But this is due, like everyone knows, to other reasons that have forced the Ministry of Public Health to make that decision.
At the airport, in the provinces, in the municipalities, in the community, the polyclinics, their workplaces, in their neighborhoods they are being given a very affectionate welcome.
Let us respond now to questions on the process of relocation of the Cuban doctors, once they have returned to the country and upcoming foreign assignments for these professionals.
Fidel taught us that you can’t never have too many doctors. There will never be too many doctors for Cuba or the world.
In the World Health Assembly held in May this year, Cuba’s minister of Public Health informed the Secretary General of the World Health Organization of the readiness of more than 10 000 Cuban doctors to go help other countries in the world, and we were already in Brazil. That is, in addition to the ones in Brazil, for other countries in the world. Doctors will never be too many, let alone in Cuba.
I believe that the infant mortality rate in our country of 3.9 per 1000 live births—among the lowest in the world— is largely due to the work of our family doctors and, of course, the general care for the mother and child.
Therefore, all returning doctors will have a place to work. They will continue to do their job in our country. But there’s more. Many will be offered to start second medical specialties. Keep in mind that the specialist in General Comprehensive Medicine can solve 80% of health issues in a town. The other 20% go to the hospitals, but you’ve got 80% solved already with these doctors.
They will be offered to start second specialties. Another group will be offered to take language courses: English and French, because we need to continue our cooperation in countries that speak those languages.
We also have a question related to the expenses that have to be incurred by the returning Cuban professionals.
Cuban professionals have not spent a cent in their return home. This homecoming operation is an orderly process coordinated by the Cuban Medical Brigade and the Pan-American Health Organization, all arrangements have been made to bring the doctors to the hubs, like I said earlier. They don’t have to spend a cent.
From TeleSur English we get a question concerning the education and training of Brazilians in Cuba and whether there will be a change in this regard.
There is no change. Like it’s been done all these years, Brazilian youngsters will come to study in Cuba according to the procedures established. As regards the Brazilian people, there is no estrangement. Quite the contrary, we’re coming closer together. This situation has let the Brazilian and Cuban people to become more united, and everything will continue as usual. There are no obstacles to what we’ve had.
Thank you, doctor.
With these questions we come to the end of this broadcast. The email address vocero@minrex.gob.cu (link sends e-mail) will remain active for your questions.
The Portuguese and English language versions of this broadcast will be made available soon.
I thank you all for your attention. Have a good day.
(Cubaminrex)