Havana, October 9 (RHC) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro thanked Cuba for its contribution to the training of local physicians. He made the remarks during the 10th graduation ceremony of 40 doctors held on Tuesday at the Teatro Nacional of Caracas.

The Venezuelan head of state recalled that this training program was created in 2005 from an idea by Commanders Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez and has since graduated some 18,000 physicians.

He said that these young physicians will continue studying various specialties and called upon them to give their best, with inspiration, devotion and patriotic commitment.

Maduro also announced the creation in Venezuela of the University of Health Sciences to train specialized medical staff, as the country’s scientific vanguard.

He highlighted the tradition of solidarity of the Cuban people, exemplifying that in Venezuela some 30,000 Cuban physicians are currently providing their services, in addition to assuming teaching and advisory positions.

During the ceremony, Maduro convened a meeting in Havana or Caracas of the countries that are members of the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas (ALBA) to coordinate protocols and comprehensive actions to fight the Ebola virus and cooperate with countries affected by this disease.

In this regard, he described as heroic the delegation of 165 Cuban physicians that arrived in Sierra Leone to fight the epidemic in that West African country.