32 Cuban Doctors Arrive in Turkey to Help Earthquake Victims
Thirty-two Cuban doctors arrived in Turkey on Sunday to provide medical assistance to those affected by the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria last week.
These medical professionals are part of the Henry Reeve International Contingent and were received by Cuba’s ambassador to Ankara, Alejandro Diaz Palacios.
The doctors immediately went to the city of Kahramanmaras, which is considered the most affected area by the earthquake, where they will work alongside their Turkish colleagues.
José Ángel Portal Miranda, the Minister of Public Health, expressed Cuba’s willingness to offer help anywhere in the world where it is needed.
Dr. Juan Carlos Dupuy, the leader of the brigade, affirmed that neither low temperatures nor language barriers will stop the doctors from helping those affected.
Most of the doctors have experience in complicated situations internationally, including disasters such as the earthquake in Pakistan, the Ebola epidemic in Guinea Conakry and Liberia, and the fight against COVID-19 in Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Andorra, and Kuwait.
As of six days after the catastrophe, the death toll has reached more than 28,000, with 24,617 in Turkey and over 3,500 in Syria. However, a United Nations representative has indicated that the figure is expected to rise in the coming hours.
The president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, made public the intention to collaborate with the Turkish and Syrian authorities in caring for the people affected by the earthquake.
