Islamabad, March 6 (RHC) -– Some 295 young students from Pakistan received their degrees in Medical Sciences in the first graduation of Pakistani doctors in Cuba, the Pakistan Observer reported on Thursday.

According to the newspaper, the Pakistani government on behalf of the people of that Asian nation, has expressed its deep appreciation for Cuba's cooperation in the health care field, particularly in the training of professionals.

The medical graduates obtained their degrees at the University of Medicine Dr. Serafín Ruiz in the province of Villa Clara, as part of a bilateral project initiated seven years ago, when the first group of Pakistani students arrived in the island. The program, established following an initiative of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, aims to offer some one thousand medical scholarships to those interested, particularly for residents of the areas devastated by the earthquake of October 2005.

Six days after the catastrophic earthquake, the first group of the “Henry Reeves” Cuban Medical Brigade arrived in Pakistan to help the country shattered by the phenomenon. Around 2,600 Cubans doctors and paramedics arrived that time. They were also the last to leave Pakistan. During their stay, 32 field hospitals were set up, where nearly two million patients received medical assistance.