Haitian Medical Students in Cuba

Over 500 Haitian medical students in Cuba are now studying at the Latin American Medical School, where their academic record is outstanding. The first graduates began returning home in 2005, and 400 of them were already practicing in public health institutions when the massive earthquake hit Haiti. They work alongside other Haitian health professionals and a Cuban medical team numbering over 350 that has served in Haiti since 1999.

Together, the Haitian graduates and Cuban doctors have nearly doubled the number of physicians for Haiti’s 9.5 million people. The most important thing is that they are committed to staying.

Two MEDICC Programs support their efforts:

• MEDICC & Global Links Earthquake Appeal: the two organizations have teamed up to ship material aid to the public health centers and hospitals where the Haitian graduates and Cuban doctors are working to save lives. Donate to this effort now! You can make a real difference, since these doctors--over 400 Haitian graduates and 350 Cubans--are there to stay. For more information, contact Diane Appelbaum, MEDICC’s US Director.
  
• MEDICC’s “Health for All: A Trilingual Creole-Spanish-French Glossary” of medical terms most frequently used in community settings. The glossary is an important tool for the Haitian graduates working in Haiti, since Creole is their language and the language of their patients; Spanish is the language of their medical instruction; and to date, French is the language for writing clinical records in Haiti. Donate to make more copies of this glossary available every year, and extend distribution to the Cuban doctors working in Haiti. For more information, contact Jerrontay Foster, MEDICC’s Financial Director and coordinator of this program.

Donations to MEDICC for these programs will support better medical care for the people of Haiti.