On Tuesday, 91 health workers from Cuba went to West Africa. They will be joining 165 of their colleagues who are already there and are working in the region to help in the fight against the spread of the deadly Ebola virus. The Cuban government officials say that the majority of the health care workers who are headed to West Africa have worked in such environments before. Dr. Osmany Rodriguez, a Cuban doctor who worked in Zimbabwe and Venezuela declared: “This is the biggest challenge I have ever faced in my life, it’s a very dangerous disease”. Rodriguez will be sent to help people who are suffering from Ebola in Liberia or Guinea. He added: “My family, they are a bit worried but they know I will be taking care of everything. They will trust in my daily habits and routines in order to avoid the disease”.
Rodriguez was trained at the Pedro Kouri Institute for Tropical Diseases in Havana. At the institute, health care workers are instructed by the World Health Organization on how to properly equip in order to stay safe from contamination with the Ebola virus. Health care workers are supposed to dress in seven different layers of clothing which provide protection from Ebola contamination. Dr. Jorge Perez Avila, the institute’s director declared: “The important thing is to save lives. Why are Cubans going to Africa? To save lives”.
It is believed that the Cuban medical diplomacy does not send out health care workers to help out purely because of their altruism. By sending health care specialists in countries where Ebola is out of control, they are also boosting the image of Cuba. Cuba is often criticized for its poor record as far as human rights go. Also, by sending doctors and other health care providers to Venezuela, Cuba is paid back in oil. Cuba has already been compared to the United States, in regard to their actions for helping out with the Ebola crisis. “While the United States and several other wealthy countries have been happy to pledge funds, only Cuba and a few nongovernmental organizations are offering what is most needed: medical professionals in the field”, the New York Times wrote. “It is a shame that Washington, the chief donor in the fight against Ebola, is diplomatically estranged from Havana, the boldest contributor. In this case the schism has life-or-death consequences, because American and Cuban officials are not equipped to coordinate global efforts at a high level”. Cuba gets most of its income from sending out health care workers in countries like Brazil or Venezuela, in exchange for hard currency and oil.