Cubans ‘critical’ to COVID-19 war

A team of 100 Cuban medical specialists has been welcomed as a critical weapon in the country’s anti-virus arsenal, according to CARICOM Ambassador David Comissiong.

Hours after 99 nurses and a doctor arrived at the Grantley Adams International Airport, on a LIAT charter flight from Havana through Antigua, Comissiong told Barbados TODAY that the Cubans are also here to assist in building out a separate treatment healthcare system.

The medics also brought the Cuban-made drug Interferon, for use in the treatment of COVID-19. The medicine was consigned to the Barbados Drug Service, Barbados TODAY has learned.

He noted that while China responded to the outbreak by building a new hospital in Wuhan in ten days time, Barbados has in 30 days built a new 220-bed hospital, inclusive of 38 Intensive Care Unit bed in St Lucy.

The Government’s strategy has been to build a COVID-19 treatment medical network separate from the country’s general health care system, the envoy said.

He said it was necessary to insulate the general health care system from COVID-19 so that authorities could be able to serve the general health concerns of Barbadians.

Ambassador Comissiong said the presence and service of 100 Cuban nurses with special skills and experience in dealing with infectious diseases will assist immensely in putting a “visionary” programme into place.

He said: “Barbadians should also be aware that this delegation of 100 nurses is the single largest delegation of nurses Cuba has ever sent on an international mission anywhere in the world.

“This is testimony to the sense of brotherhood and mutual respect that exists between Cuba and Barbados.”

Touching on the history of Cuba-Barbados relations, Comissiong noted that Fidel Castro once told him that Cuba will never forget the courageous and principled position that the Government of Barbados took in 1972 when “we defied the mighty USA [United States of America] and OAS [Organisation of American States] and extended diplomatic and other forms of recognition to Cuba”.

He said: “In addition to this, the horrific Cubana tragedy of October 6 1976 forever bound together the people of Barbados and Cuba. It is therefore highly significant that the very first place that the Cuban medical team insisted on visiting upon their arrival in Barbados was the Cubana Monument in Paynes Bay.”

The ambassador joined other Government officials to welcome the medical team when they arrived at GAIA on Sunday night and he also accompanied them to the historic Cubana air disaster monument at Payne’s Bay.
anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb