Ghana, Cuba in medical services deal

Jorge F. Lefebre Nicolas, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cuba, has signed medical and academic services agreement with the Ministry of Health as a way of supporting quality health delivery system in the country.

The agreement would also aid Ghanaian doctors to receive specialist assistance from their counterpart Cuban trained doctors to relieve them of the many patients they had to attend to in their consulting rooms since they are few.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday in Accra.

Mr Jorge Lefebre indicated that the move was a step forward for the two countries since their relationship with Ghana had existed for over twenty years during the PNDC regime and had since been supporting the country in delivering quality health system.

He noted that the Ghanaian hospitality and efforts in health care delivery to her citizens was commendable and that had gingered them to renew their agreement with the Ministry to provide more doctors to work, especially in the rural areas.

Madam Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Health, said the agreement was to signify cooperation between the two countries because Cuba had been supporting Ghana in various disciplines – in agriculture and medicine for the past 20 years.

She said it would also serve as a renewal of commitment to close the gap between doctors and patients, saying 250 doctors had already been sent to Cuba this year to commence their training while 300 Cuban doctors would be arriving in the country.

She pointed out that the Cuban doctors would be sent to Korle Bu and Komfo Anokye hospitals and some rural areas as specialist doctors and surgeons who would assist in treating neuro and cardiothoracic diseases.

Source: GNA