Under the epidemic situation + sanctions, where is Cuba's support for foreign aid?

　　Under the epidemic situation + sanctions, where is Cuba's support for foreign aid?

　　Our reporter Bai Bo

　　On April 27, a team of more than 200 people arrived at the Pretoria Air Force Base in South Africa, a medical team from Cuba on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

　　On that day, South Africa had accumulated 4,793 confirmed new cases, making it the country with the largest number of diagnoses in Africa. The number of confirmed cases in Cuba exceeded 1,400. If calculated in proportion to the population, the proportion of confirmed cases in Cuba exceeds that of South Africa.

　　Prior to this, Cuba had sent more than 20 medical teams with a total of about 1,200 people to nearly 20 countries including Italy, Andorra, Mexico, Chile, and Angola.

　　Under the dual pressure of the epidemic and US sanctions, what is the foundation for Cuba's large-scale external medical assistance? Where does ability come from? Focusing on related issues, our reporter interviewed Xu Yicong, the former Chinese ambassador to Cuba.

　　More than half of the universities are medical schools

　　Reporter: In the severe situation of its own epidemic, Cuba also sent a large-scale medical team to assist other countries. What is Cuba's strength?

　　Xu Yicong: Since the Cuban Revolution for 61 years, health and education have been the focus of attention, and many measures have been taken. Before Fidel Castro retired, he was directly responsible for medical and educational work. The high level of medical care in Cuba is internationally recognized. The average life expectancy in Cuba is higher than in the United States, and the infant mortality rate is the lowest in the world.

　　While attaching importance to the country's medical care and education, medical foreign aid is also a key task of the Cuban government. Cuba has sent more than 30,000 nurses to more than 120 countries. The World Health Organization and the United Nations give Cuba a high evaluation of medical and health efforts.

　　Cuba attaches great importance to medical education, and more than half of the universities in the country are medical schools. After graduating from medical school, students must first go to the countryside to be family doctors for three years. Only after they have passed the qualifications can they be assigned to medical units to work.

　　Reporter: Can you use your personal experience as an example to talk about Cuba's medical and health undertakings?

　　Xu Yicong: Cuban medical treatment is free of charge, including for foreigners in Cuba. I was hospitalized in Cuba for a week. When I checked out, I wanted to pay, but they said that the hospital was overburdened.

　　A national brain surgery expert was sent to Cuba in China. He thought he was treating an “important person”, but the patient was a four-year-old child of an ordinary worker. He was very emotional at the time, saying that Cuba ’s move was really remarkable, reflecting Cuba ’s emphasis on medical and health care and the people ’s health.

　　Adhere to foreign aid and show the spirit of internationalism

　　Reporter: How do you evaluate Cuba's large-scale aid to other countries' fight against epidemic disease?

　　Xu Yicong: I think this reflects the spirit of internationalism of the Cuban government and the Cuban Communist Party. Cuba attaches great importance to strengthening foreign cooperation.

　　Under the United States embargo, the situation in Cuba is very difficult. After the outbreak of the New Crown epidemic, the United States explicitly banned some transportation companies from transporting materials to Cuba. China ’s aid to Cuba also arrived in Cuba after many setbacks. Under such circumstances, Cuba has tried every possible means to respond to the new crown epidemic, and at the same time it has done its best to reach out to other countries. Such actions are very prominent among the countries of the world.

　　U.S. tightens sanctions to reflect inhumane psychology

　　Reporter: The US State Department warned countries not to accept medical assistance from Cuba. At the same time, the US sanctions have also seriously affected the prevention and control of Cuba ’s domestic epidemic. What do you think of this practice in the United States?

　　Xu Yicong: The purpose of the US blockade of Cuba is very clear, just to kill Cuba. Historically, the United States has always wanted to turn Cuba into one of its states. The reason for the Cuban revolution is also against the annexation of the United States. The victory of the Cuban Revolution made the plot of the United States bankrupt, so the United States became furious and pressed against Cuba step by step, trying to put Cuba to death.

　　The New Crown epidemic has spread throughout the world. In the case of humans needing to cooperate to deal with the crisis, the United States has increased its blockade. This actually reflects an inhumane psychological and policy orientation of the United States.

　　As for the epidemic in the United States itself, I think this is a manifestation of their incompetence. In the face of the epidemic, the US government has not adopted a clear policy and has not taken the epidemic seriously, and ignored the lives of ordinary people. The entire performance of the US government in the epidemic is completely contrary to their slogan.