Government hopes to expand and continue eye care programme....says PM Golding

He has given the assurance that despite the change of leadership in both Jamaica and Cuba, that the close cooperation and collaboration on various areas of development and assistance that have taken place over the years will be continued and expanded into new areas that will bring relief to the people of Jamaica.

Mr Golding was speaking this afternoon to a group of Jamaicans now being treated under the Cuba eye care miracle mission programme at Hostalsalud Tulipan where they are accommodated for the surgeries and recuperation. Mr Golding, as part of his three day official visit to Cuba, toured the facility and got a first hand view of the work being done to help Jamaicans regain and improve their eye sight through the technology offered by the Cuban eye care specialists.

He told the group that the Jamaican delegation is in Cuba to hold discussions with the Cuban government on a number of issues including how to expand the programme of eye care. He expressed the hope that out of the discussion, the Cuban specialists will not only be able to help more Jamaicans here in Cuba but that they will be able to set up a system in Jamaica where more people can be treated back home.

Briefing the Jamaican delegation, Head of the Hostalsalud Tulipan facility, Dr Hector Gomez, disclosed that between July 2005 to May 4, 2008, some 4,122 Jamaican patients had eye surgeries done in Cuba. The Hostalsalud Tulipan facility itself started receiving a medical team group in 2007 and the first batch of Jamaican patients arrived at the facility in October 2007.

Between February 2007 to April 2008, Dr Gomez said the facility had treated some 452 patients from Jamaica which represents 31.7% of the total number of patients and companions treated at the facility. Some 374 surgeries have been done on Jamaicans including cornea transplant, cataract and glaucoma, cross eyes, pigmentary retinosis and ocular tumours.

Before touring the Hostalsalud Tulipan facility, Prime Minister Golding and his team of five Ministers were taken on a tour of the Pando Ferrer Ophthalmologic Institute where they were shown video presentations of the procedures and the new technology used in eye care treatment by the Cuban specialists.

Tomorrow, the Ministers who have accompanied Mr Golding on the three day visit will be meeting with their Cuban counterparts for one on one discussions on areas of cooperation and with the hope that a number of agreements will be reached and signed off on to conclude the visit to Cuba. Accompanying Prime Minister Golding are the Ministers of Health, Tourism, Water and Housing, agriculture and Foreign affairs.