Cuba Medical System

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[edit] Cuban Medical Graduates Oath, 2005

We Pledge: To strive always to be worthy representatives of Cuban health professionals, devoting ourselves with true love to our profession, with a profound respect for human life, feeling the pain of others as our own, seeing in each patient and their family our own loved ones, and working tirelessly towards excellence in health services.

We Pledge: To make every effort, every day to improve ourselves professionally, politically and culturally, so as to offer the highest quality care to our people, based on the principles of medical ethics and revolutionary values that reject commercialization, corruption, and the mistreatment of people wherever we may find ourselves.

We Pledge: To serve the revolution unconditionally wherever we are needed, with the premise that true medicine is not that which cures, but that which prevents, whether in an isolated community on our island or in any sister country of the world, where we will always be the standard bearers of solidarity and internationalism.

[edit] Cuba’s Henry Reeve International Team of Medical Specialists in Disasters & Epidemics

Units of this specialized, rapid response volunteer team of health professionals are now serving in Guatemala and Pakistan, their expenses assumed by the Cuban government. In a ceremony on September 19, Cuba formally constituted the International Team, the founding members of which collectively possess an average of 10 years clinical experience and service in 43 countries. Ultimately, the United States rejected Cuba’s offer to send these medical professionals to the Gulf States during the ongoing post-Katrina relief effort. Now 3,000 strong, the team’s members are required to speak at least two languages, take post-graduate courses in epidemiology, and be physically fit. They also receive specialized training in medical assistance during epidemics and pandemics and HIV prevention methods and treatment for people suffering from HIV/AIDS.

Among their ranks are surgeons, pediatricians, internists, vector specialists and epidemiologists.

[edit] Emergency Medical Team

The following are some vital statistics of the Cuban emergency medical team prepared to carry 36 tons of medical aid and their own clinical skills to victims of Hurricane Katrina: · 857 are women; 729 are men. · 699 have previously worked overseas. · Average age is 32 years old. · Average clinical experience is 10 years. · 1,097 are specialists in family medicine. · 72 physicians have two or more specializations. · All have disaster-preparedness training.

Locations serviced: 1960 Chile Earthquake - 5,000 dead Medical team 1970 Peru Earthquake - 60,000 dead Medical team, 6 rural hospitals, 106,000 blood donations 1972 Nicaragua Earthquake - 5,000 dead Medical team, food, medicines 1974 Honduras Hurricane Fifi - 2,000 dead Medical team 1990 Soviet Union Chernobyl disaster program 17,733 children treated in Cuba through October, 2004 1990s Brazil Radiation poisoning 52 patients treated in Cuba 1998 Central America Hurricane Mitch - 30,000 dead and disappeared Medical teams 1998 Haiti Hurricane Georges Medical team 1999 Venezuela Torrential rains, mudslides - 9,000 dead Medical team 2000 El Salvador Dengue epidemic - 10,000 cases over 16 weeks Medical team, advisors and equipment