Guatemala City, November 12 (RHC)— Cuban doctors, nurses, technicians, and other professionals, making up the country's medical brigade in Guatemala, celebrated 18 years of health cooperation between the two countries.

The Cuban Medical Brigade has a presence in 16 Guatemalan departments, and more than 156 professionals work in primary health care in remote areas.

Participants in Friday's ceremony praised the results of Operation Miracle –the Cuban brigade's flagship program in Guatemala-- which has restored or improved the eyesight of more than 156,000 Guatemalans thus far.
 
The hard work, humanism and dedication shown by the Cuban health professionals --this army of white coats as Leader Fidel Castro call them-- has earned them the profound affection, admiration and respect of the Guatemalan people, who celebrated with them this new anniversary of their arrival in the country in 1998, in the wake of Hurricane Mitch.

Cuba's health cooperation with Guatemala also provides for the training of young professionals from the Central American country at the Havana-based Latin American School of Medicine. More than one thousand Guatemalan health professionals have already graduated from the Cuban medical school. All of them have returned to Guatemala to offer their services to people in their home communities.