Castro's 'miracle' cures the poor of blindness

[Zeitgeizt]

FROM: The Independent 18 December 2005


Castro's 'miracle' cures the poor of blindness


By Tom Fawthrop in Havana


The rich tourists whose luxury yachts once crowded the idyllic Marina
Hemingway complex on the outskirts of the Cuban capital are shocked to find
all Havana's hotel rooms fully booked until mid-2006. More than a dozen
hotels have been temporarily closed to tourists to make way for a different
kind of visitor. Most of them arrive nearly blind; but all will be able to
see perfectly before they leave.


A remarkable humanitarian programme is under way here, which aims to restore
the sight of six million people through free eye surgery. Launched in July
by the 79-year-old Cuban President, Fidel Castro, and Venezuela's Socialist
leader, President Hugo Chavez, Operation Miracle has brought daily
planeloads of the poor from across Latin America and the Caribbean to Havana
for surgery. Cuba provides the medical skills, Venezuela the petro-dollars.


People suffering from cataracts and other eye conditions that can be quickly
remedied are candidates.


Cuba's comprehensive, free healthcare system has a ratio of one doctor for
every 170 Cubans, compared with 188 in the US and 250 in the UK.

[Master Che]

How lovely, this is such a good gesture in helping humanity. If anyone deserve the "person of the year" award by time it should be Castro and Hugo Chavez. Their the ones who really helped society.

[Tekun]

Damn, I should take my mom to Cuba
She's got alot of eye problems, and since our insurance doesn't cover it, her vision's getting worse :(

Cuba has always put the individual b4 the dolla, this is just another example

[fpeppett]

This is great, really brings a smile.

[Zeitgeizt]

I agree comrades - the human revolution, or socialist revolution is back in praxis...

For those who think the leadership is opportunistic or selfish....who cares what you think, you have more in common with George Bush and Wall Street than you do with us.

[Intifada]

Nah...

Castro is an evil mini-Stalin dictator.

[Master Che]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20 2005, 09:44 PM
Nah...

Castro is an evil mini-Stalin dictator.
When was the last time he killed millions of his own civilians?

[Ownthink]

Originally posted by Master Che+Dec 20 2005, 04:53 PM--> (Master Che @ Dec 20 2005, 04:53 PM)
[email protected] 20 2005, 09:44 PM
Nah...

Castro is an evil mini-Stalin dictator.
When was the last time he killed millions of his own civilians? [/b]
I think he was being sarcastic.

[Intifada]

It was sarcasm.

[redstar2000]

A little on the crude side, Zeitgeizt?

The Cuban government has decided to do something nice "because" they're "communist revolutionaries" at heart?

That's your equation?

"communist politics" = "humanitarian acts"???

If you really think that, then you should check out the Catholic Church! They've been working the charity racket for nearly 20 centuries...with the usual results in terms of social change.

Look beneath appearances!

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Cuba's free eye surgery program continues to grow

As promised (see "Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez Speaks", The Free Press volume 1, issue 5), Mission Milagro (Miracle Mission), an outgrowth of Cuba's internationalist work with Venezuela, has been expanded to residents of Latin America and the Caribbean. Through the program, people with cataracts and other treatable eye problems can receive free corrective surgery in Cuba. The patients are provided with free transportation to and from Cuba, food, and lodging. So far tens of thousands of people from 10 countries -- including President Chavez's daughter -- have had their sight restored in such operations in Cuba. Cuban doctors perform about 1,500 of the eye operations a day.

Panamanian President Martin Torrijos recently visited Cuba, saying it was his obligation "as a sign of my thanks for the opportunity being given to many humble Panamanians to recover their sight". Under Mission Milagro, 12,000 Panamanians will receive free treatment in Cuba every year.

Cuba and Venezuela plan to treat 600,000 people -- including Americans who can't otherwise afford the treatment -- over the next 10 years. This while an unprecedented number of doctors and nurses leave their semicolonial countries for imperialist countries where they can make more money. The Caribbean alone loses 300 nurses a year to the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada. According to a study by the New England Journal of Medicine, Jamaica has lost 41 percent of its doctors and Haiti 35 percent.

With this program Cuba is continuing its world renowned internationalist policies which were born out of its socialist revolution. 25,000 Cuban doctors are currently providing their services in 66 countries, and, as a direct result of Cuba's assistance, Venezuela has recently become the second country free of illiteracy in the Americas.

The Cuban government is also stepping up its long-time practice of training medical students from underdeveloped countries and impoverished neighborhoods around the world. Thousands graduate as doctors every year and return to their countries to help meet local health-care needs.

http://www.freepeoplesmovement.org/fp16e.html

[Zeitgeizt]

Yeah the Catholic Church kicked all the clergy out of the Vatican and turned it into a hospital for 6,000,000 poor people going blind just last week...



Either you are really cynical or 14...My guess is that you are 17 tops.?

[Ian]

he's 63

[KC]

Originally posted by Redstar2000

If you really think that, then you should check out the Catholic Church! They've been working the charity racket for nearly 20 centuries...with the usual results in terms of social change.

Look beneath appearances!

Maybe you should be taking some of your own advice, Redstar. Saying "both the Catholic Church and Cuba have both provided charity. Since the Catholic Church has committed atrocities beyond comprehension, Cuba must have also!" doesn't really work.

[which doctor]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20 2005, 09:24 PM
he's 63
And he even met Che once! If my memory serves me right.

[Fidelbrand]

Originally posted by Fist of Blood+Dec 21 2005, 11:57 AM--> (Fist of Blood @ Dec 21 2005, 11:57 AM)
[email protected] 20 2005, 09:24 PM
he's 63
And he even met Che once! If my memory serves me right. [/b]
yes, you right. You know Che actually secretly went to Australia to see Ian. It was a memorable night for them.

Ask Ian about it.

[which doctor]

Originally posted by Fidelbrand+Dec 20 2005, 11:05 PM--> (Fidelbrand @ Dec 20 2005, 11:05 PM)
Originally posted by Fist of [email protected] 21 2005, 11:57 AM

[email protected] 20 2005, 09:24 PM
he's 63
And he even met Che once! If my memory serves me right.
yes, you right. You know Che actually secretly went to Australia to see Ian. It was a memorable night for them.

Ask Ian about it. [/b]
I bet Che had a fun time with Ian.

[Commie Rat]

This topic got derailed quickly

[Zeitgeizt]

This topic got derailed quickly

I know, it's hard to get Redstar2000 not to drop a jaded bomb on anything that has to do with existing Socialism.


This is a great step forward for internationalism, and positive propaganda to other Central, and Latin American nations.

If Communism has allies.... Communism will grow.

[Kez]

Lookin at Cuba, its clear that the bureaucracy at the top is under a lot of pressure, to either go capitalist, or deepen Cuba into a workers Democracy.

Acts like these should encourage cuban citizens to defend socialism, and thus fight against the capitalist reforms some sections of the Cuban bureacracy want to bring in.

We, socialist revolutionaries, should defend these progressive acts occuring in Cuba (as in Venezuela) but also make sure at the same time we can see that the only way forward is to deepen socialism in Cuba.

Not everythin is black or white, neither does it occur overnight, we must also expect long drawn out processes where we see the polarization and eventually the conflict of the balance of forces.

It will also be interesting to see what happens when Fidel dies, as at the moment he he holding the whole bureaucracy together, so who will fill the vacuum?

[Zeitgeizt]

Good Points Kez