Bolivians Thank Cuban Doctors for their Professionalism and Humanism

Many Bolivians are currently grateful for the presence of Cuban doctors in this country, who with their professionalism and humanistic sense reach intricate communities to attend to the most disadvantaged people.

Rogelio Velazquez and his wife Angelica Rosse are among the more than 700,000 patients in this country who have benefited from ophthalmic surgeries, as part of the Operation Miracle plan, which seeks to solve the population's different ocular pathologies.

'Thanks to President Evo Morales and Cuban doctors, we can see without problem and we can carry out all our daily activities', the 63-year-old couple told Prensa Latina.

These Bolivians, who belong to Zapatera community, in Tupiza municipality, Potosi department, decided to travel to La Paz, about nine years ago to be treated for their eye disease.

They were a bit incredulous at first, even fearful that the operation would result and not be free, as one of their daughters had told them.

However, at present, they congratulate themselves on their decision and even encourage others in the community to operate and improve their vision.

'In the countryside we don't know an oculist, we have a health post with a doctor and a nurse, but the health centers are far from our community, and we don't have money to pay for private attention' , explained Rogelio Velazquez.

The community members, he said, use mostly natural and traditional medicine to cure their illnesses.

Velazquez also stressed the professionalism of Cuban doctors and the good treatment they offer to all their patients, without distinction.

For her part, Yoandra Muro, national coordinator of the Cuban Medical Brigade in Bolivia (BMC) explained that up to August this year there were 700 008 interventions thanks to the Cuban collaborators' effort and dedication in the nation, especially the surgeons and all the workers of the ophthalmological centers.

On February 2, the BMC celebrated 12 years of presence in this South American nation, where more than 750 professionals from different specialties work in the nine departments.

In 2006, the first Cuban aid workers arrived in this country, who were part of the Henry Reeve group to attend to disaster situations, with a commitment to life and the guarantee of health as an inherent right of all human beings.

From that moment on, Cuban doctors have earned the respect and admiration of the Bolivian authorities and people, who recognize their contribution to improving the quality of life of the population, mainly in rural areas.