Cuban Medics Arrive in Italy

A Cuban medical brigade made up of 52 professionals, some with experience in combating the Ebola crisis in Africa, arrived in Italy yesterday to assist with the coronavirus outbreak.

The medical team known as the Henry Reeve Brigade, 70 percent of whom are women, consists of doctors, nursing graduates and one logistics specialist.

Dr. Carlos Ricardo Pérez heads the Henry Reeve Brigade. The team will carry out their work in the newly constructed hospital in Crema, with a population of 34,000.

Italy, where more than 5,000 people have died from the Coronavirus, is suffering the second greatest number of infections and deaths after China.

The Cuban ambassador to Italy, José Carlos Rodríguez, greeted each of the medical specialists as they descended from the Alitalia plane which arrived by direct flight from Havana.

On their arrival in Milan, Cuba’s doctors were greeted by applause from the Italians.

This is the sixth Cuban team to join the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the world and the first to travel to Europe.

The Henry Reeve Brigade is also providing medical assistance for the Coronavirus pandemic in China, Grenada, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Suriname, and Venezuela. No other nation has provided as much help as the Cubans.

Cuba also recently offered assistance to the stranded British cruise ship, the MS Braemar, by allowing the ship to dock in Cuban waters. The ship had 684 passengers on board, five of whom were infected by the Coronavirus. Working with the British embassy in Havana, the Cuban government ensured the care and safe return of the stranded passengers to the United Kingdom.