The protagonists were medical and nursing personnel who make up the Cuban medical brigade that offers services at the “José Martí” Eye Hospital in this capital, together with Uruguayan colleagues from this specialized health center.

The exchange and joint presentations of papers are part of the commemoration of the 17th anniversary of the presence here of the ophthalmological contingent of the largest of the Antilles.

The motto of the day was “17 years restoring vision to the people of Uruguay,” an idea that contains results and figures, such as the 384 thousand Uruguayans treated by this program, many of whom have had their sight restored through surgical interventions and other treatments.

“Our people are grateful,” said Beatriz Trejos, who said she represents the “users” and is one of many elderly people who have benefited from this bilateral cooperation.

“The Cuban doctors brought the humanitarian side that health care requires and to which we were not accustomed,” said the general secretary of the National Association of Retired and Pensioner Associations of Uruguay (Onajpu).

On her side, the deputy director of the “José Martí” Eye Hospital, Miriam Fernández, stressed that the Cuban brigade, led by Dr. Evelyn Almira, is responsible for 50 percent of the surgical interventions carried out in this national reference center.

For his part, Ambassador Jorge Martí, Cuban Chargé d’Affaires, praised the level of the presentations, the joint work of Cubans and Uruguayans and the benefit of such results for the care of the population.

The diplomat said that this is the fruit of the vision of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez, promoters of the Miracle Mission, through which thousands of people in various latitudes of the planet recovered their vision.

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