Venezuela, Cuba offer free health care to Latin American, Caribbean citizens

PETRE WILLIAMS, Observer staff reporter
Friday, August 26, 2005

MONTEGO Bay, St James - Venezuela and Cuba have committed to providing free health care to an estimated 6 million Latin American and Caribbean citizens over the next 20 years.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez told reporters here Tuesday night that he and Cuban president Fidel Castro signed off on the commitment last Saturday in Cuba.

"On Saturday in a beautiful town in Cuba called Sandino, Fidel and I, we assumed the Sandinos Commitment. We are offering within the framework of this commitment to provide health care to 6 million inhabitants in Latin America and the Caribbean in the next 20 years free of charge," Chavez told a press conference at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

He was speaking following a series of closed-door meetings with Prime Minister P J Patterson and officials form their respective governments.

"In September Jamaicans will also have the opportunity of receiving this health assistance," the president said.
Among the other beneficiaries annually will be an estimated 100,000 people from Brazil, 60,000 from Colombia, 12,000 from Panama, Ecuador 30,000 and 20,000 from Bolivia.

".These are some of the figures we can offer right now. But we are talking about a global figure of 600,000 operations a year, 6,000,000 in 10 years," he added.

Chavez has, in the interim, indicated that the offer of free health care and more so eye care, was also open to US citizens.

"This offer also includes the people of the United States ...
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html...AN_CITIZENS.asp

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