PARAMARIBO–More than 50 medical doctors from Cuba will relocate to Suriname shortly, Health Minister Celsius Waterberg announced, on Monday as President Desi Bouterse and his delegation reported on the outcome of their recent Cuba trip. The minister said that 17 specialized nurses will arrive soon, followed by ten medical practitioners, two neurologists, three hormone scientists, two surgeons and cancer specialists. Cuba is also sending five pharmacists, five dialogists  and a team of eye specialists, Waterberg reported.

The minister said he would engage talks with Surinamese medical specialists soon, because they should understand that the Cubans do not pose a threat. “We should rather see them as complementary to our local supply of medical specialists,” said Waterberg.

President Bouterse said that he would see to it that the expertise of the Cuban specialists finds its way to especially the hinterland. “It does bother the President and the Vice President that in the inlands there’s 0,2 doctor per 1,000 residents. These people have just as much  right to health care as us who live in Paramaribo. We should raise the standards of our healthcare,” Bouterse said.

Accompanied by Public Works Minister Ramon Abrahams, Health Minister Waterberg and Foreign Minister Winston Lackin, Bouterse visited Cuba from Tuesday May 24 till Monday May 31st, in response to an official invitation by his Cuban counterpart, President Raul Castro Ruz. Aside from his meeting with President Castro, Bouterse also laid a wreath at the monument for Cuban national hero Jose Marti and toured the associated museum, met with Minister Rodrigo Malmierea Diaz of International Trade and Investments. The delegation also met with Suriname’s students that are studying at Cuban universities.

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