Vol. 71/No. 7      February 19, 2007

The China-Cuba Friendship Ophthalmologic Hospital, which focuses on treating eye diseases for people in the western region of China, is the product of a 10-year health cooperation agreement signed in April by Cuban and Chinese medical officials. Under the agreement, “Cuba will supply the hospital with equipment and experts, while the Chinese side provides space and other staff,” reported the Chinese news agency Xinhua. Of the 135 medical personnel at the hospital, 52 are from Cuba.

The Cuban Medical Services group, which is responsible for the clinic, was created in March 2005 to promote “free and/or subsidized cooperation, the training of national and foreign experts, scientific research, and for the organization of the International Henry Reeve Medical Brigade,” reported the Cuban News Agency. The brigade is a contingent of Cuban volunteer medical specialists organized to give immediate assistance to any country struck by disasters like severe hurricanes or floods.

“This is the first cooperation project in the ophthalmologic area between China and Cuba,” Wang Xuan, vice mayor of Xining City, told Xinhua. It is also the first special ophthalmologic hospital to open in this province, which has a high incidence of patients with cataracts. According to Xinhua, there are 12,000 individuals in this area currently suffering from the disease.

Qinghai is the fourth largest province in China with a population of 5.3 million people. It borders the region of Tibet.
 
 
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