Havana, Cuba -  The members of the 27th US-Cuba Friendshipment Caravan met on Friday in Havana with members of the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade.

The Sub Director of the International Cooperation Services, Dr. Juan Delgado told the caravanistas that it is an honor to share their experiences in other countries especially their cooperation in the fight against ebola in western Africa.

The member of the international brigade explained how Cuba began its health cooperation after the triumph of the Revolution in 1959. After the departure of three thousands doctors in 1959, Cuba was practically left without specialists. But 55 of those that remained in the country voluntarily went to Chile after the earthquake that hit that country in 1960. Then, said the expert the official medical cooperation began in Algeria in 1963 after their liberation from French colonialism. Cuba, said Dr. Delgado has been present in 117 nations in the last 55 years.

Dr. Delgado who was one of four present at the Friendship House with the 41 member Caravan said that the Cuban medical brigade was named after Henry Reeve at the end of 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. They were a group of doctors and nurses prepared in epidemics and natural disasters. Cuba offered their medical assistance to the victims of the Hurricane and former President George W. Bush rejected the aid.

He said it is an honor for the brigade to be named after Henry Reeve who was a New Yorker that fought alongside the Cuban people in their fight against Spanish colonialism in 1873.

Dr. Delgado told the brigadistas how the UN authorities and the World Health Organization requested help from four rich nations, the US, France, Britain and Cuba, this last, he said, rich in solidarity. He stressed that at that time, the Health Minister made a call for volunteers of the medical brigade and others to join in the fight against the deadly disease, in three days there were 400 volunteers and in a week a total of 12 thousand were willing to express their solidarity with the African people, said the specialist.

Dr. Dairon Ramos, young doctor that went western Africa to fight ebola said that it was an honor when he was called and asked if he was willing to voluntarily offer his medical assistance. It was hard, he said, to see not only adults die in front of you, but harder to see children of all ages pass away. He stressed the importance of Cuba’s training of doctors which is not only how to treat patients with medication but also the human aspect. He stressed that not only treating the body but also their soul.

Gail Walker General Director of the Inter-Religious Foundation for Community Organization, IFCO, told ACN, that little is known in the US about Cuba´s international cooperation, much less that they offered to send doctors and nurses to Louisiana to provide medical attention to the victims of Katrina. Our objectives this year was to inform the people in the US about Cuba´s public health care and how Cuba can offer the US in terms of health, like the Herberprot-P medication for the treated of diabetic foot ulcers and the Cimavax vaccine that blocks the growth of lunch cancer tumors.

The 27th US-Cuba Friendshipment Caravan arrived to Cuba on Tuesday challenging the US blockade and travel ban to the island. They have been carrying out a program of activities to learn about the current events in Cuba and express their solidarity with the Revolution demanding an end to the US blockade, the travel ban and the return of the illegally occupied Naval Base in Guantanamo to the Cuban people.