BELIZE AND CUBA RENEW MEDICAL AGREEMENT FOR THREE MORE YEARS

January 24, 2007

Yesterday the Governments of Belize and Cuba renewed their medical agreement for the next three years. Minister of Health Jose Coye said they were renewing the agreement in terms of human resources.

Hon Jose Coye: Minister of Health

“Is that in the area of the health care providers we were very short in the rural areas and what the agreement is doing is indeed to renew the contribution the human resource.  For example today we enjoy a number of sixty three physicians from Cuba, which is made up of forty five general practitioners, eighteen specialists that work in the secondary and tertiary care of our country and it also provides nurses   and in addition to that we also have engineers, x-ray technician, occupational therapists.  What this agreement is saying in essence this is what Cuba is providing for Belize and we in return is asked very little in the sense that we need to provide – we need to meet certain expenses in which is now  here near what we had to pay if we were paying in the marker price.”

Cuban First Deputy Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla said the signing will improve the level of cooperation between Belize and Cuba.

Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla: Cuban First Deputy Foreign Minister

“I am signing this agreement and I know it would be very beneficial and it will improve the level of bi-lateral cooperation in health matters and it will make the job our easier for our doctors and paramedics that are working in Belize.”

In his remarks, Minister Coye said the Cuban brigade has been assisting greatly in providing health care service, particularly in the rural areas. Coye said using the Cuban Medical brigade does not make Belize dependent on Cuba for medical resources.

Hon Jose Coye: Minister of Health

“Somewhere in the agreement, the brigade is being provided to Belize it is not to make Belize dependent on this but concurrently the Government of Belize has contributed to this country a tremendous amount of scholarships for physicians and doctors from what they have in Cuba, they are also training Belizeans to meet these deficiencies in our country and that is what I find a long lasting contribution to our country.”

Jose Coye, Minister of Health.  From this agreement, Cuba’s assistance to Belize includes scholarships for students to attend universities in Cuba. The brigade includes forty-five General Practitioners and eighteen Specialists along with Nurses and Technicians.

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