A new group of Cuban health professionals has arrived in Gambia to join the country’s long-standing Medical Brigade (BMC), which has been providing vital healthcare services for nearly three decades.
The team, consisting of doctors, graduates, and technicians, will be deployed across various regions to offer medical assistance. Additionally, professors from the brigade will help train young Gambian students at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Banjul.Upon their arrival on Sunday night, the new members were welcomed by Rubén G Abelenda, the Cuban ambassador to Gambia, along with Dr. Juan Oquendo Montes, head of the BMC, and other key officials.This arrival follows a productive visit to Cuba in August by Gambian Minister of Health, Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, aimed at expanding the existing healthcare collaboration between the two nations. Samateh, accompanied by the permanent secretary Adama Drammeh and the newly appointed Gambian ambassador to Cuba, Seyaka Sonko, held various meetings with Cuban health authorities and visited scientific institutions, exploring avenues for deeper cooperation.
During their visit to Havana, the Gambian delegation met with Cuba’s Health Minister, José Ángel Portal Miranda, to discuss mutual initiatives for enhancing healthcare collaboration. One of the highlights was their visit to the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), where they were introduced to innovative Cuban medicines, including Heberprot-P, a unique drug for treating complex diabetic foot ulcers. This visit marked a significant step in strengthening the health partnership between Gambia and Cuba.
