The Birth of Healthcare for All
Alberto N Jones
7/15/07

Seven years ago, a US Congressional delegation from the Congressional Black Caucus, visiting Havana, were taken on a tour of the Latin America School of Medical Sciences, where over 13,000 students from 29 countries around the world, were trained as physicians free of charge.

Congressman Benny Thompson of Mississippi wondered loudly, if underprivileged students from his state could apply. After months of struggles, wrangling and open opposition by Cuban-American right-wingers, the first US students, presumably scared, arrived in a country that they had heard a wealth of negative and disparaging stories.

Overcoming language barriers, Spartan living conditions, monotonous meals, rigorous studies, poor communications with their families in the US, most students resisted the difficulties and initial temptation to drop-out and two years ago, coinciding with the Katrina disaster in which his family lost all of their worldly belongings, the United States had its first physician graduating in Cuba.

Little or nothing was carried then by the mainstream media and today, 2,470 new physicians from 27 countries of which 8 are from the United States, received their diploma in a ceremony held in Havana and are ready to go out into the world to mitigate the pain and suffering of those less fortunate.

Since the beginning of this project, The Caribbean American Childrens Foundation based in Palm Coast, Florida, worked closely with Pastors For Peace, New York, to whom the US Congressional Black Caucus entrusted the day-to-day operation.

On behalf of all the students and graduates of this Medical School, I wish to express our deepest gratitude to our members, friends and supporters, who believed in our pleas for help and to the extremely generous healthcare community of NE/Central Florida, who opened their hearts and donated valuable medical supplies, journals and moral support, helping to make this dream a reality.

As we rejoice with this initial success, we must remember how much remain to be done! All financially challenged students willing to advance their knowledge in life, should be steered in our direction. No usable equipment, instrument our medical journal, should end up in the landfill. No extra coin or bill sitting idle on a dresser, should not be given the opportunity to support such a magnificent, humanitarian project.