Havana, October 1 (RHC)-- The Cuban entity Comercializadora de Servicios Médicos Cubanos (CSMC) S.A. and the Canadian tour operator COGIR, have signed an agreement for the implementation of a program to provide healthcare to elderly Canadians visiting Cuba as  tourists.

Doctor Yamila Ramona de Armas Águila, First Vice-President of the Cuban entity, and Bruno Desautels, Secretary of COGIR -- a leading investor and developer of residences for Canadian seniors-- signed the document in late September at the Meliá Cohíba Hotel.

The program called "For a happy age" was conceived for groups of older adults, aged between 75 and 85, with good physical and mental conditions, who visit Cuba and stay on the island for a period of two to three months in the winter, said the Cuban expert.

The board of directors of the Cuban entity, which belongs to the Ministry of Public Health, announced that the first group of Canadian travelers will arrive in November at the world famous Varadero beach resort, located 140 kilometers east of Havana.

The comprehensive medical-tourism product will promote healthy lifestyles, and if necessary may include nursing care, transportation from and to the airport.

Comercializadora de Servicios Médicos Cubanos CMSC S.A. currently manages and operates specialized hospitals and clinics in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, together with the contribution of human resources for the provision of services.

Bruno Desautels, secretary of COGIR, expressed satisfaction with the Cuban program, whose accommodation will be in a building of the Marina Varadero hotel.

He expressed an interest in further expanding the program to other Cuban tourist facilities in the coming years, taking into account the accelerated aging of the population, from which Canada does not escape.

With great international prestige, COGIR manages more than 40 housing complexes for more than 10,000 senior Canadian citizens.