Cubans Recall Setting up of the Henry Reeve Medical Contingent

Havana, Sept 19 (ACN) Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero described Cuban doctors as “the heroes in white coats,” as Cubans marked on Tuesday the 18th year of the setting up of the Henry Reeve International Contingent.

On his X account, the Premier expressed his endless gratefulness to the Cuban doctors who have highly represented Cuba in different countries of the world.

Also on X, Cuban Health Minister Jose Angel Portal acknowledged the work of the contingent’s members who have been the protagonists of hundreds of stories of solidarity and altruism.

Set up back in September 19, 2005 by the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro, the Henry Reeve contingent assists victims of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods or epidemics, the minister said.

The contingent of doctors specialized in situations of disasters of big epidemics was set up to give a response to the damage inflicted by hurricane Katrina in the US city of New Orleans, but the US administration did not accept the assistance.

The group was named after young US citizen Henry Reeve, born in Brooklyn, New York who joined the Cuban independence war against Spanish colonial rule.