The is leading a campaign to collect mArgentine Association of Graduates in Cuba (AAGRAC)edicines to send to the Cuban people in the face of the severe medicine shortage they are experiencing, stated Dr. Miriam Nogueira.
The doctor spoke with Prensa Latina during a break in the fabulous concert “Urgent Song for Cuba,” organized by the Moreno Argentine-Cuban Friendship Association with the support of the city council at the Leopoldo Marechal Municipal Theater in Moreno.
Nogueira, who works at Emergency Care Unit 12 in the Moreno district of Cuartel Quinto, graduated in the first class in 2005 from the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), created in 1999 at the initiative of Fidel Castro to train young people in Medical Sciences from a range of countries.
The concert, in addition to raising funds for the purchase of solar energy equipment to send to the island, was also conceived to celebrate the Centennial of the Birth of the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution. Cristina Coronel, a leading figure in the Association of Argentine Medical Associations (AMAAC) and twice declared an Illustrious Citizen of Moreno, contributed to the event.
The AAGRAC is comprised not only of doctors but also graduates from other professions on the island, such as sports and physical recreation graduates, and includes graduates from other countries residing in Argentina, explained Nogueira, who is a member of the Association’s board.
“Right now we are collecting medications and medical supplies, some donated and others purchased by us through fundraising,” she added.
When asked why they are doing this, the doctor stated, “Because it’s our duty, because it’s a moral imperative, because it’s what Cuba taught us: solidarity. We don’t just train as doctors; Cuba doesn’t just give us a medical degree, it gives us values, humanism, and solidarity, and these are the principles that guide us.”
Dr. Diego Maximiliano Ortiz, also a graduate of ELAM and a nephrologist at the Mariano y Luciano de la Vega Hospital in Moreno and the Alejandro Posada Hospital, a nationally recognized institution, sent a message to the concert to express his deepest gratitude to Cuba, “the country that opened its doors to me and allowed me to fulfill my dream of becoming a doctor.”
“I arrived at just 20 years old, full of dreams, and returned with 27 graduates in 2013. It was seven years of effort, learning, and growth, where I not only received a solid academic foundation, but also values of solidarity, commitment, humility, and a vocation for service,” he says in his message.
“I met extraordinary people, professors who left indelible marks, and classmates with whom I shared an unforgettable time. I will always carry Cuba in my heart. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to study, grow, and achieve a profession that I practice daily, and for being a fundamental part of who I am today as a doctor,” Dr. Ortiz concludes.
His mother added her support to the solidarity concert and stated that she “feels immensely proud to see that the opportunity to study and train in Cuba has transformed into a vocation dedicated to serving health and those who need it most.”
Cellist Fabiana Betelu Machado, a member of the group Aromitos Musicales, one of the bands that enriched the concert, recounted that she underwent cataract surgery at age 12 in Cuba, “and there I learned that we are all equal as human beings.”
She affirmed that she will never forget and remains grateful to the surgeon she identified as Paquito, “the best ophthalmologist in Latin America, who not only restores sight but also heals the soul and mind of his patients.” Fabiana later studied music in Cuba.
[ SOURCE: PRENSA LATINA ]
