Special to PV
The Steelworkers Hall in Toronto was filled on Oct. 24 with 100 people who came to hear about Cuba’s health solidarity in Haiti. Dr. Jorge Balseiro talked of his experience working with the Henry Reeve Brigade, a team of Cuban doctors and health care workers, to assist the victims of the January 2010 earthquake.
Dr. Balseiro’s kindness and professionalism were very evident, witnessed by his power point presentation about the dire situation in Haiti before the earthquake. Cubans had worked to lower the infant mortality rate, and build an internal health program with the assistance of ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas).
The meeting, organized by the Canadian Cuban Friendship Association, was part of a three week tour of Canada sponsored by the Canadian Network on Cuba, to which the CCFA is affiliated.
Dr. Balseiro explained how the Cuban team worked extremely hard to save lives, when for the first time ever a cholera epidemic struck Haiti. The Cubans have a proactive preventative protection plan in place, going out in the communities to look for people with illnesses that can be treated early. The rate of mortality of patients treated by Cubans was 0.37% compared to the overall rate in Haiti of 1.72%. Read more
