• Submitted by: admin
• Health and Medicine
• 11 / 05 / 2006

Milagro's Operation a Cuban-Venezuelan program of free-eye surgery that began since 2004, according to official figures.

Since the beginning of the program 375,619 patients have undergone eye surgery among them 79,828 Cubans and 295,791 foreigners in Cuba and other countries, shows the Public Health Ministry (MINSAP) data published by the Cuban press.

Havana and Caracas hope to carry out about six million of Latin Americans in 10 years.

The director of Cuba Ophthalmology Institute Marcelino Rios said his country has 800 ophthalmologists available and is training other 1,000 while developing exchanging programs with specialists from United States, Japan, Italy and Spain.

Rios explained the surgery program began in Cuba but recently new ophthalmologic centres were established in Venezuela and Bolivia with Cuban doctors working in them.

Other big centres will be created in Africa and Asia, asserted Rios.

Source: Prensa Latina