China Sends Cuba Another 24 Tons of Medical Supplies

24 tons of donated medical supplies arrived in Cuba from China on Wednesday, making it the fourth batch to be sent in support of public health efforts to control Covid-19, in just a matter of weeks. 

The latest shipment includes examination gloves, medical goggles, face shields, surgical masks, X-ray film and piperacillin. Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment, Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz, said that the supplies will be immediately distributed by the Ministry of Public Health to hospitals and other health centers.

The government of China made the decision to provide urgent support to Cuba in response to the rise in Covid-19 cases which began in June. Cuba has reported the arrival of ventilators, oxygen concentrators, and large shipments of anti-epidemic materials including antigen detection kits, surgical gloves, protective clothing and goggles, as well as medicine, since July 31st.

Other medical supplies, medicine and food are expected to continue to arrive in batches.

Since the start of the pandemic, China has demonstrated leadership in cooperation around the world, and particularly in Latin America where numerous supply donations have been made to Venezuela, and as China has secured the greatest share of vaccine doses, through a combination of purchases and donations, for countries like Bolivia.

Up against the illegal U.S. blockade, Cuba has managed to control the spread of the coronavirus and minimize the number of deaths far better than most countries of the region and is in the process of vaccinating the population with three vaccines developed by Cuban scientists. Over 40 percent of Cubans have been vaccinated.

Beyond Covid, President Xi Jinping’s government says it’s prepared to intensify high-level exchanges with Cuba, strengthen exchanges and mutual learning in the governance of party and state, deepen anti-pandemic cooperation, promote practical cooperation and push for even greater development in bilateral relations.