Havana, March 20 (RHC)--A total of 53 Cuban doctors and nurses will arrive this Saturday in the region of Lombardy, northern Italy, to assist in the treatment of patients infected with the new coronavirus.

The deployment comes in response to a request for help made by this region because of the shortage of personnel in the already overcrowded hospitals, reported Giulio Gallera, the regional health director, reported the Spanish news agency EFE.

Gallera announced, "these are highly specialized personnel who have already fought against Ebola and know how to treat this type of disease," adding that they will go "to relieve the situation at Crema Hospital."

The Cuban ambassador in Italy, José Carlos Rodríguez Ruiz, confirmed a few days ago Gallera's request and that the help had been requested from the competent Cuban authorities.

The Cuban medical brigade will join the ten doctors from China who arrived in Milan on Friday and who will be sent to the new field hospital to be built in Bergamo, the Lombard city most affected by COVID-19.