Artemisa, Cuba - From a distant land, the continent where the human race comes from and the source of our tradition , customs ,mythology and culture , three doctors from Artemisa province show their experiences, full of a deep humanism, professional commitment and the pride they represent for the Cuban people.

On Oct. 2, nurses Lariel Laza Cárdenas (from José Ramón Martínez hospital in Guanajay), Jorge Martinez Cruz and Leonardo Baños Carmona (both from Ivan Portuondo’s , in San Antonio de los Baños) arrived in Sierra Leona to fight Ebola outbreak . They all left behind families and very close friends who support them in spite of the distance.

"I told my mom I was going to go to Sierra Leona anyway because my support was needed. My family’s reaction was normal, and as usual my mom's advice was to look after me and fulfill all. Communication is good: messages, one or two calls a month, because they are very expensive. We also keep in touch through the E-mail account of a few friends, " Lariel says .

Meanwhile, Leonardo says that "at first communication was difficult. We did not have cell and there were only two computers in the hotel. Communication has improved thanks to the cooperation of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the appropriate steps. My family has supported me at all times, they are always concerned about my health ".
Different places , unique principles.

The three roads that converge in Sierra Leone today, had different starting points.

"I chose to study Nursing because I did not get Medical course , but during the studies I had very good teachers who taught me to love the profession," Lariel says .

Jorge, however, felt vocation very early: "I graduated from Middle Technician in 1987 and I became a graduate in 1994 . I had vocation since childhood, I was part of the Pioneers Red Cross. I was in the volunteers Brigade , I received several courses, and at the end of pre-university I chose this course . "

Offer solidarity help outside Cuba is not new for these internationalist. Jorge had served four missions: the first one , in December 1999, in Venezuela, due to the disaster occurred in the state of Vargas .

"I was sleeping in my house at 11:00 pm, when I was called by phone and I woke up the next day in Venezuela," the doctor recalls.

Then in January 2000, just on his return, he was call to go to El Salvador. In 2001 Jorge fulfilled mission in Guatemala, after Hurricane Mitch ... and in 2011 he joined Henry Reeve contingent to fight cholera outbreak in Haiti.

Lariel and Leonardo were previously in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago respectively. The former stayed three years and the latter, two years .

When it came to keep on helping the neediest they join quickly. "I did not hesitate to take the step forward the day I was told by phone. Then, in a deeper analysis, I thought it would be the hardest of missions; it required greater sense of internationalism. It would be another opportunity to be useful to humanity (paraphrasing Fide’s words), " Jorge states.

Lariel experiences how the job in an epidemic is like and how to help people. Leonardo considers this is "an unforgettable situation that will be very useful in my professional life. This internationalist mission will the Moncada and Granma events of the current times. "

The hard work begins

Leonardo explains some details about his stay in Sierra Leone: "When we arrived, we trained most of the month (in Cuba we practiced repeatedly in Pedro Kouri Institute). Now some of us are working in a hospital named Kerry Town built by the British government. Since it is a new hospital, everything is faultless. The rest of the staff is looking forward for being assigned to health facility. "

According to George, the field hospital has about 80 beds, but only the third part is in use , due to the urgency of the situation.

"The hospital capacity should be one hundred percent very soon. We work in three shifts: we assist patients 24 hours. The first shift from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 pm, the second from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm and the third from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am of the next day. We work during an hour and rest for two hours. We have good conditions, we have a room to rest, "the Cuban doctor highlights.

And Lariel says that "it is essential to maintain biosecurity measures. In case of any difficulty we get out , although the shift is not completed because our health is the most important ".

According to Jorge, all the staff gets along very well , many of us known each other from previous missions. "We treat each other like brothers, as the brigade chiefs has told us " Leonardo says .

The look on the goal

Sacrifice, effort, all that make sense for Lariel, Leonardo and Jorge when they see the reaction of the people and deepen on the impact of this mission.

"The population welcome was indescribable. People greeted us very happy from the airport to our accommodation in the capital , they went out to watch us pass by bus . The government made a welcome ceremony. " Jorge asserts.

Jorge believes this represents the biggest challenge he have faced, "but certainly it is the mission that will bring me more knowledge from the scientific point of view, and also in terms of culture and traditions."

Lariel agrees Jorge’s point of view . "We face an invisible enemy, which has no distinction of skin color, social status, nothing. I have gained experience and my goal is to prevent the disease transmission and return proud to Cuba ".

The world owes too much to Africa, considered the mother of civilization, so deeply and continuously exploited over the centuries.. Lariel, Jorge and Leonardo with their humanitarian collaboration are fulfilling a debt not only with the so-called black continent, but with humanity, through the ethical and moral principles in which they were professionally trained.

Translated by LMMS