Shortly before returning to their country, a small island in the Pacific Ocean, as trained doctors, Nignanna, Junior and Paul spoke to Granma about some of their experiences as students in Cuba.
Each of these youths from the Solomon Islands told us in their own words what it was like to live for almost six years in a country as hot as their own, where people are cheerful and hospitable, but have different customs.
“Sometimes in the streets we didn’t understand what people were saying, because in addition to speaking a foreign language, the language of medicine is different to everyday speech. Luckily eventually we got used to it, and even ended up being confused with Cubans,” Nignanna says laughing.
From the third year of their course, they began to apply their acquired knowledge in polyclinics and hospitals, in direct contact with patients.
Junior admits he noticed immediately that, “Cubans know a lot about medicine,” and that is a challenge. “They ask you a thousand questions when trying to diagnose them and decide on a treatment. So you have to be strong and not let this influence you. We must have patience and be precise. The experiences are also very good in this regard,” he explains.
Meanwhile, Paul emphasizes that it was important to him to learn how primary health care is practiced, as he believes that its application in the Solomon Islands could help control diseases such as diabetes.
“In my country there are many people who have no resources to access hospitals and primary care could help to prevent their condition from becoming complicated,” he reflects.
“Knowing the background stories of patients and their needs allows for a better diagnosis. That's critical,” he argues.
The three remember hearing of the opportunity to study in Cuba on a local television program, which talked of the solidarity between the two countries. Nignanna, Junior and Paul are not the only Pacific Islanders to be trained in Cuba. There are currently about a hundred students from 12 island states of the region studying in the country.
In a recent interview with this newspaper, the Ambassador of the Solomon Islands in Havana, Simeón Bouro noted, “Thanks to Cuba in a few years time we will have many more doctors than those trained over 36 years of independence.”
“Cuba is contributing substantially to the transformation of health systems in the Solomon Islands and the Pacific region,” the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Gordon Darcy Lilo, said earlier this year on a visit to the island.
After inaugurating in Havana the country’s first embassy in Latin America, the dignitary also praised the quality of the Cuban educational system and the training of doctors.
Referring to the students studying on the island he said, “They are learning to see medicine not on a commercial basis but with a humanitarian approach. This is essential.”
At least five Cuban medical brigades have worked in the Pacific Islands, specifically in Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. In turn, over 500 young people from these islands have graduated in Cuba.
