Abdullah Impressed With Cuba's Operation Miracle

HAVANA, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi spent Wednesday morning here visiting a free medical school and an eye surgery centre famous for its "Operation Miracle" programme and was impressed with what he saw.
The Prime Minister, who is here to attend the meetings of the Group of 15 (G15) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) beginning tomorrow, was first at the Latin American School of Medical Sciences (ELAM, which is its Spanish acronym), a school sponsored by the Cuban government and dedicated to training doctors to treat the poor, mainly from Latin American nations.
The irony about ELAM is that poor Cuba is training doctors for free not just for less developed countries but also for rich America, which has some 88 students studying there.
Cuban President Fidel Castro had mooted the idea for the setting up of the school following the devastating impact of hurricane Mitch in Central America in 1998, to provide medical assistance to the affected countries.
ELAM's rector Dr Juan Carrizo Estevez said the school catered for foreign students from 28 countries of Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa. To enrol for the six-year training conducted in Spanish, applicants must possess a Bachelor's degree, be of good behaviour and preferably from poor families.
Later, Abdullah toured the Ramon Pando Ferrer Ophthalmological Hospital, which is known for its "Operation Miracle" programme that has successfully restored the eyesights of hundreds of thousands of patients in Latin America.
At the institute, Abdullah was briefed by the institute's director Prof Dr Marcelino Rio on the latest technology installed at the hospital which was set up in 1956.
According to Dr Rio, the hospital received a great number of patients, mainly from poor and low-income families from Latin American countries for free eye treatment and surgery.
The hospital also sends ophthalmologists abroad, especially to Venezuela and Bolivia.
The Prime Minister enquired on the treatment of glaucoma, a disease that could lead to blindness, saying that he intended to help a friend who is suffering from the disease for more than a year.
Meeting Malaysian journalists later, Abdullah spoke highly of the "Operation Miracle" programme to help the poor in getting their vision restored after surgery.
The Prime Minister said he was impressed with the advanced technology used at the hospital for eye operations.
He praised the institute for its efforts in helping the poor and expressed hope that they could share their experiences with their counterparts in Malaysia.
"I have extended an invitation to the director-general to visit the eye hospital in Malaysia. Perhaps we can cooperate by exchanging experiences in this field.
"But what is also important is prevention... to prevent is cheaper than to cure. Treatment sometimes requires a lot of money that is not afforded by the poor unless they are given free treatment," he said.
Cuba had invested heavily and given emphasis on health care, and now has been able to send some 37,000 physicians abroad, mainly to Latin America, Africa and the most recent, 400 doctors were sent to Timor Leste.
During the tour, Abdullah was accompanied by his daughter Nori, Information Minister Datuk Zainuddin Maidin, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and Malaysian ambassador to Cuba Zainol Abidin Omar.
On the medical school, he said the Cuban government had offered 30 seats for Malaysians to study in the Caribbean island nation.
However, he added, he would leave it to the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Health to evaluate the matter before making further recommendation.