NI council officially asks Cuban government for medical aid during Covid crisis

Overseas medical help as a Cuban policy was started under Fidel Castro, its long-serving – now dead – dictator

The idea was proposed by Gary Donnelly at a meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council on Thursday night, and was met with unanimous approval.

Councillor Donnelly, a hardline independent republican, found a seconder in Paul Gallagher, a fellow independent republican.

The wording of the proposal was: “That this council immediately contact the Cuban government and seek assistance from the Henry Reeve International Medical Brigade in efforts to combat the crisis caused by Covid-19 in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area;

“And that this council also writes to Altnagelvin Hospital, Dr Tom Black of the GP Federation, and the Western Trust, to inform them of their plans.”

Councillor Donnelly told the meeting via videolink: “Cuba has an excellent record of medical internationalism which has seen dozens of medical missions dispatched overseas... These doctors specialise in disasters and serious epidemics.

“Over the past 15 years Cuban doctors have treated an estimated 3.5million patients abroad while offering free medical training to overseas students in Cuba.

“In recent times the brigade has travelled to Italy and Portugal to fight the Covid outbreak. The group has also been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize...

“Should this new proposal carry, the district should avail of the support of Cuban doctors, nurses and medical staff to help the ongoing efforts to battle the current pandemic in this council area.”

Sinn Fein councillor Sandra Duffy pledged her party’s support for the idea.

UUP councillor Darren Guy said he had “no bother supporting this call for help”.

SDLP councillor Martin Reilly likewise said he was “happy with the proposal” while DUP councillor said: “I welcome and support the motion I’ll never turn away help... I do question why was this not done earlier.”

He wondered, however, whether the request was related to recent news that the Department of Health was to obtain support from UK Armed Forces medics in staffing Covid wards.

In 1962, Earth’s northern hemisphere was very nearly destroyed in a nuclear exchange between the USA and Soviet Union, over the decision of Cuban leader Fidel Castro to allow huge numbers of nuclear missiles on the island.

Cuba is ranked 70 in the UN’s Human Development Index, just behind Albania (the UK is 13th).

Despite the crumbling of its main backer, the USSR, Cuba remains a one-party dictatorship to this day, with Raul, Fidel’s 89-year-old brother, still having a prominent role.

While there are very limited political freedoms in Cuba, and a tight economic embargo from the USA and the collapse of aid from Soviet Russia have spelled economic hardship for the island, one of the enduring senses of pride for the Cuban regime is its national health service, which has long extended the offer of support to international governments in times of crisis.

It is not clear exactly when the council’s request for aid will be sent to the island.

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