In her regular press conference, the head of State recalled that for years, in the so-called neoliberal period, the door was blocked to general physicians in the country who wanted to specialize, “in this absurd idea that if you close the entrance, then you will have excellent students.”

“You get to the current moment and you say Mexico needs more hospitals, more health centers, but for that you need more doctors,” explained the president, who emphasized the existence of four-, five- and six-year specialties.

“In terms of training your specialists, what did the Mexican Government do and what we continue to do? The door is opened to other nationalities who want to come, resident specialists, to our country, including Cuban doctors,” she pointed out.

In response to a question about the work of the Cuban physicians in the southern state of Chiapas, the president noted that they are not only found in that territory, but in many other places in the nation.

Meanwhile, the administration is promoting the training of medical specialists in Mexico, she said, and noted that in 2011, only 6,000 people were admitted in the residency (specialty) nationwide and currently there are 18,799.

“What changed? Well, simply a recognition that the country requires medical specialists and that they have to be trained in public institutions,” she stated.

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