Guatemala, March 2 (RHC)-- The director of Guatemala's Integral Health Care System, Ricardo Calderón, described the work of Cuba's Medical Brigade as admirable, with 21 years of continuous effort in intricate parts of the country.

Speaking at the Review of the results of the collaboration during 2019, the public official expressed his gratitude and admiration for the work carried out by Cuban health specialists, which - he said - they do with transparency.

Arnaldo Bringuez Aragón, an advisor to the Deputy-Minister of Primary Health Care, also praised the Cuban brigade. He said that the presence of the more than 400 Cuban collaborators distributed in 16 of the country's 22 departments has become permanent and very necessary.

Since the beginning of the Integral Health Program, the figures show the impact of uninterrupted assistance that has saved at least 332,000 lives and helped more than 218,000 low-income people out of blindness as part of the Operation Miracle Program, which began in 2015, free of charge, and has four ophthalmology centers.

Beyond the statistics and the cost-benefit of having a contingent of Cuban health personnel in Guatemala, the strong bond between the two countries was reflected in the words of Guatemalan doctor Ricardo Arriaza.

"There is no rational way to take stock of what you do for us, of how many lives you save... I celebrate your work, individually and on behalf of the International Rotary club that I represent, I honor your presence here as heirs to the internationalist work and thoughts of José Martí and Simón Bolívar in the Patria Grande," Arriaza said.