Rome, jul 20, 2020.- The 38 Cuban physicians who helped face the Covid-19 during three months in Turin, returned to their country today amidst countless displays of recognition and affection.
Although the members of the Henry Reeve Contingent worked in the capital of the Piedmont region, they began their return trip to Havana from the Milan-Malpensa airport in neighboring Lombardy on a direct flight of the Blue Panorama airline that took off at noon, local time.
The Piedmont regional counselor Federico Perugini, the Cuban ambassador in Italy, Jose Carlos Rodriguez, the president of the National Association of Friendship Italy-Cuba, Irma Dioli and the president of the Agency for Cultural and Economic Exchange with Cuba, Michele Curto, came to say goodbye.
There were also representatives of the National Coordination of Cubans Living in Italy, the minister counselor of the diplomatic mission, Jorge Luis Alfonzo, the consul general in Milan, Llanio Gonzalez, and the head of the consular section of the embassy in Rome, Felix Lorenzo, among others.
In a brief but moving act shortly before boarding the aircraft, Perugini, Ambassador Rodriguez and brigade leader Dr. Julio Guerra spoke.
The Caribbean nation's doctors and nurses return home pleased with the work done with their Italian colleagues at the hospital set up in the OGR cultural and convention complex.
There they carried out more than 5,100 medical services, around 29,000 nursing procedures and actions and attended more than 170 patients with only one death.
They also participated in extra hospital actions and organized, along with Italian professionals, the 'First Italy-Cuba Medical Symposium. Exchange on Covid-19', which included 11 presentations on various topics.
Since their arrival in the Piedmont capital on April 13, the members of the Henry Reeve Contingent were welcomed by local health professionals who were overwhelmed by the magnitude of the emergency, and the population severely punished by the pandemic at the time.
At the end of their mission, they were bid a farewell as dear friends by the patients and their families, the Italian health personnel, the national government, the regional and local authorities and the people of Turin, Piedmont and all of Italy, who will remember the generous and solidarity gesture forever.
(Cubaminrex-Prensa Latina)