Cuban Doctors Speak Out Against ‘Quitters’ In Their Midst

TO the brotherly people of Namibia, from whom we receive, and to whom we offer all our solidarity: We, the Cuban collaborators in this brother country, come from a small Third-World nation with scarce natural resources which has been subjected – for over 46 years – to a cruel and brutal economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America, which has caused losses amounting more than 86 billion US dollars, as well as a policy of destabilisation and aggression which includes encouraging illegal emigration.

However, the effects of such blockade have not prevented Cuba from structuring a broad and generous cooperation with other Third-World countries, based on solidarity and internationalism. Cuba has cooperation with 155 countries, and more than 42 thousand Cuban professionals and technicians offer their services in 108 countries.More than 32 thousand work in the health sector of 72 countries, and have offered direct medical care to over 332 million people.Thanks to the action of our doctors, more than a million lives have been saved, 119 million patients have been seen in their own homes and 2 million surgical operations have been carried out.Through these programmes, 151 medical doctors and health technicians work in 10 regions of Namibia – whose people know us quite well, since in the last 17 years, nearly 3,5 million Namibians have been assisted by us, and 51 432 have saved their lives as a result of our work.In the rest of Africa, where 1 700 of our colleagues work, 32 million people have received our services.All this evidently bothers the US Government, and as part of the measures to strengthen the blockade, President Bush is trying to hinder Cuban collaboration with our brothers.Pursuing this objective, on August 11, 2006 the US Government adopted migratory measures which encourage defection of Cuban health personnel working in third countries by offering attractive shortcuts to go to the United States.Such measures implemented by Mr Bush’s Administration no only sel?shly and unethically rob Cuba of its professionals, but also attempts to deprive Namibia and other countries of their services.Some unscrupulous Cubans lacking patriotic feelings are playing the Empire’s game, as was the case of a nurse last year, and other three doctors who recently applied to leave for the US while in Namibia.In doing this, they decided to leave their patients and follow the Pied Piper of Hamelin’s ?ute – encouraged here, in Windhoek, by the US Embassy and the socalled “Legal Assistance Centre” – which attempt to present the case as one of “political refugees”.For all of us, Cuban collaborators, this situation is not only outrageous, but it insults our intelligence and that of the Namibian people.Those Cuban defectors are not – and have never been – persecuted or harassed for political or any other reasons.They voluntarily applied, and were accepted to be part of one of the most humane programmes Cuba is carrying out in developing countries.They neither are, nor qualify as refugees, and the UNHCR has never granted them such status.Those Cuban citizens who decided to quit their medical mission in Namibia, and do not wish to return to their homeland are no longer entitled to be holders of Official Passports, therefore they become undocumented aliens.When they breached their contract they were no longer sheltered by the Agreement that brought them to this country – hence their of?cial passports were cancelled.If after defecting they are “in hiding”, it is certainly not for fear of “persecution” or “kidnapping”, since they positively know that Cuban authorities never use such procedures.Lastly, we wish to reassure to the people of Namibia that they can always count on us.We, the Cuban professionals and technicians will remain here, at your side, for as long as you need us.We will keep on following the idea of our dear Commander Fidel Castro that this is a battle for solidarity, and against sel?shness.Cuban Medical Team NamibiaCuba has cooperation with 155 countries, and more than 42 thousand Cuban professionals and technicians offer their services in 108 countries.More than 32 thousand work in the health sector of 72 countries, and have offered direct medical care to over 332 million people.Thanks to the action of our doctors, more than a million lives have been saved, 119 million patients have been seen in their own homes and 2 million surgical operations have been carried out.Through these programmes, 151 medical doctors and health technicians work in 10 regions of Namibia – whose people know us quite well, since in the last 17 years, nearly 3,5 million Namibians have been assisted by us, and 51 432 have saved their lives as a result of our work.In the rest of Africa, where 1 700 of our colleagues work, 32 million people have received our services.All this evidently bothers the US Government, and as part of the measures to strengthen the blockade, President Bush is trying to hinder Cuban collaboration with our brothers.Pursuing this objective, on August 11, 2006 the US Government adopted migratory measures which encourage defection of Cuban health personnel working in third countries by offering attractive shortcuts to go to the United States.Such measures implemented by Mr Bush’s Administration no only sel?shly and unethically rob Cuba of its professionals, but also attempts to deprive Namibia and other countries of their services.Some unscrupulous Cubans lacking patriotic feelings are playing the Empire’s game, as was the case of a nurse last year, and other three doctors who recently applied to leave for the US while in Namibia.In doing this, they decided to leave their patients and follow the Pied Piper of Hamelin’s ?ute – encouraged here, in Windhoek, by the US Embassy and the socalled “Legal Assistance Centre” – which attempt to present the case as one of “political refugees”.For all of us, Cuban collaborators, this situation is not only outrageous, but it insults our intelligence and that of the Namibian people.Those Cuban defectors are not – and have never been – persecuted or harassed for political or any other reasons.They voluntarily applied, and were accepted to be part of one of the most humane programmes Cuba is carrying out in developing countries.They neither are, nor qualify as refugees, and the UNHCR has never granted them such status.Those Cuban citizens who decided to quit their medical mission in Namibia, and do not wish to return to their homeland are no longer entitled to be holders of Official Passports, therefore they become undocumented aliens.When they breached their contract they were no longer sheltered by the Agreement that brought them to this country – hence their of?cial passports were cancelled.If after defecting they are “in hiding”, it is certainly not for fear of “persecution” or “kidnapping”, since they positively know that Cuban authorities never use such procedures.Lastly, we wish to reassure to the people of Namibia that they can always count on us.We, the Cuban professionals and technicians will remain here, at your side, for as long as you need us.We will keep on following the idea of our dear Commander Fidel Castro that this is a battle for solidarity, and against sel?shness.Cuban Medical Team Namibia