BRASILIA.— President Dilma Rousseff expressed thanks on July 3 to thousands of Cuban doctors for the contribution they have made to improving the health of this South American nation’s population.
I want to inform you that through your work, you are strengthening relations between Cuba and Brazil, Rousseff emphasized at an event to mark two years of the Más Médicos (More Doctors) program.
“You are responsible for ties that are not concentrated, but spread throughout the country. In each municipality where you are, I am sure that you have friends, people that offer you a great friendship, fraternity,” she said, according to PL.
The President thanked all the foreign doctors incorporated into this program, which has expanded health care to 63 million people,but she particularly acknowledged the work of Cuban professionals in remote communities.
I am therefore obliged to refer to Cuba's participation which has demonstrated, along with its government, solidarity, professionalism and absolutely humane care, she added.
Following two years of hard work, Rousseff noted the incorporation of Brazilian specialists to the program, who have occupied the 4,139 positions offered by the Ministry of Health this year, which she noted confirms how positive this plan has been.
With Más Médicos we managed to bring health professionals to 700 municipalities that lacked doctors, in addition to the neighborhoods on the outskirts of large cities and even in state capitals, she added.
Currently we have 18,240 doctors serving in 4,058 municipalities and 34 special indigenous districts, and we will soon launch the Más Especialidades (More Specialties) program, with a view to ensuring the presence of pediatricians, surgeons, orthopedic and other branches of medicine across Brazilian localities, the President explained.
11,487 of the foreign doctors working in the Más Médicos program are Cubans, whooffertheir servicesherethrough an agreement betweenthePan American Health Organizationand Brazil.
