By Bill Hackwell, Task Force Board member

Cubans doctors leaving for Italy. Photo: Ismael Francisco Gonzalez

After being quarantined for 14 days upon arrival in South Africa the medical brigade from Cuba’s Henry Reeves has now been cleared to join the front lines with those saving lives in the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic. The 216 member group, made up of family physicians, epidemiologists, bio statisticians, health technology engineers, and biotechnology experts, will be deployed to all 9 provinces in that country.

Meanwhile another 85 Cuban medical professionals arrived in Peru this week making up the 26^th   Cuban Covid-19 brigade, so far, to be requested during this international medical crisis and more are expected. Cuba has made no distinction in answering the call to every country that has asked; no matter if they are rich or poor, if their government is led by progressives or neo liberals, socialist or reactionary. The virus does not recognize political borders but the response to it is another matter.

Today at the 73^rd World Health Assembly Cuban Minister of Health, Dr. José Angel Portal Miranda elaborated on their world view. “Without ever neglecting the responsibility to protect our people, we have not abandoned the Cuban Revolution’s vocation for solidarity. More than 2,300 collaborators, organized in 26 medical brigades from the Henry Reeve Contingent, contribute today in the battle against this disease in 24 countries – in addition, to the more than 28,000 Cuban health professionals already working in 59 countries”.

The approach of the US to the pandemic couldn’t be more different. It has been chaos with no national plan unmasking the deep inability of the privatization of healthcare to meet the challenge materially or to muster any comprehensive and co ordinated plan for the population let alone participating in any collaboration with the community of nations. No, the US in all of its exceptionalism is only excelling in this crisis in intercepting personal protection equipment and ventilators meant for other countries or even state in the US. It excels in blaming other countries for the disease with wild unproven accusations. Instead of pitching in the US undermines the role of the World Health Organization by withholding funds and criticizes and pressures countries who are calling on the Cuban medical brigades to come to assist. There is an irrational desperation in all of this, one that begs the underlying question; what is in it for us?

Cuba is the quiet shining example of the exact opposite approach; giving not what they have left over but sharing what they do have and that is a robust medical system accessible by all, blockaded for over 60 years but still able to produce world class recognized medical bio technical institutions that collaborate for the sake of humanity and not profits.

Cuba’s approach is not to stumble and fumble opportunities away waiting for the virus to arrive in patients who are already sick but rather to send out electronic questionnaires to every home and for those who don’t have internet access medical teams come to look for any evidence of the corona virus and there is testing for all. Cuba, unafraid, aggressively goes out and finds the virus and applies the same measures to every person in the country while also sending their professional medical teams to any corner of the planet.

This world view of humanity first is ingrained in the soul and mind of every Cuban since the revolution in 1959, so when it comes to recruiting qualified medical workers to go on these dangerous missions there is never a shortage of volunteers.

The little island, 90 miles from the unfolding disaster in the US has set the bar high when it comes to responding to the pandemic and they have done it with no ulterior motives and expects little in return for their collaboration. This is not medical diplomacy we are talking about here; it is international solidarity at its finest. Cuba is simply holding up their piece of the struggle for humanity with deep humility and just as much determination.

Source: Resumen Latinoamericano, May 18, 2020