Costa Ricans to Undergo Eye Surgery in Venezuela

[Judi Lynn]

Source: The Tico Times

August 24, 2007
Costa Ricans to Undergo Eye Surgery in Venezuela

About 110 Costa Ricans left yesterday for Caracas, Venezuela, where they will undergo surgeries to repair vision problems including cataracts and pterygium, a fleshy tissue that grows over the cornea, according to a statement from the Venezuelan Embassy in San José.

Miracle Mission is a project of the Bolivian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) that began in 2004 and is led by the governments of Cuba and Venezuela.

This is not the first group of Costa Ricans to participate in Miracle Mission – so far 300 Costa Ricans have benefited.

As part of this “mission,” a team of Venezuelan doctors traveled a few days ago to a rural community in northern Costa Rica, where they pre-examined more than 90 patients who are now scheduled to undergo surgery, the statement said.




Read more: http://www.ticotimes.net/dailyarchive/2007_08/0824073.htm

[dipsydoodle]

1. Out of curiousity

do you know if Costa Ricans have got travel restrictions to Cuba for medical treatment quite apart from holidays for example ? It's difficult for me to search from here - just throws up the hundreds of holidays available to Cuba and Costa Rica for UK citizens.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Don't think so! This seems like a big step forward for Venezuela, since Cuba has been the place

helping people all over the Caribbean area, and Central America get desperately needed eye surgery and treatment they couldn't get at home. I've read a lot of articles about people going from the islands to Cuba, and originally, thousands and thousands from Venezuela have gone to Cuba, as well.

Looks as if they are setting up their own system in Venezuela now to handle some of the needs, as well. Very cool, isn't it?

Pretty sure there's not any kind of barrier to Costa Rican people traveling to Cuba. If arcos sees your post, he'll let you know.

Here's a short article which leads you to imagine there's not any barrier, actually:

Cuban Solidarity with the World Praised in Costa Rica

Havana, June 5 (acn) The international cooperation provided by Cuba to over 60 third-world nations was highlighted Tuesday in a meeting in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Cuba's Consul General in San Jose, Jorge Rodriguez Hernandez, mentioned the support given to Haiti, Guatemala, Venezuela and Bolivia, and noted the positive outcomes of Operation Miracle -an eye-surgery program for low-income Latin Americans.

Rodríguez Hernández announced that the Costa Rican government is willing to subscribe an agreement with Cuba for sports cooperation that includes the contribution of Cuban experts on boxing, athletics, weightlifting, and swimming who would train local athletes for the national sports games to be held in 2009 in Limon, a city of the Central American country.

The Cuban high-ranking official also referred to the success of the Cuban method to fight illiteracy "Yo Si Puedo" (Yes, I Can), which has been implemented in several nations so far.

Participants in the meeting praised the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), a Venezuelan solidarity and cooperation initiative to counteract the Free Trade Area of the Americas proposed by the US government to subjugate Latin America.

Members of the five parties that make up the city's Municipal Council acknowledged Cuba's development in terms of education, sports, and healthcare.
(snip/)

http://emba.cubaminrex.cu/Default.aspx?tabid=10883

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a side note, I saw a few links referring to Costa Rica as a place where outsiders go seeking plastic surgery!

For North American patients, Costa Rica is the chosen destination for inexpensive, high-quality medical care without a trans-Pacific flight, and it is the particular mecca for westerners seeking plastic surgery.
(snip)

http://www.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2005/mar/tourism072505.html

[dipsydoodle]

3. Your side note

I'll bear that in mind if I ever need plastic surgery or if a plastic ukulele gets a split in the body............lol.

[Judi Lynn]

10. Now you know what to do! No one can afford to be without his/her ukulele!

[robcon]

4. non-breaking, non-news

I think this story, placed on DU Latest Breaking News, is the very definition of propaganda: I think * would be proud of you, Judi Lynn. You're a great technician of propaganda.

[Mika]

5. Yeah, free/low cost health care for the people is pure W*. -->NOT!

The great thing about this "propaganda" is that, instead of just mouthing words of care like _{W Bush}, Cuba and Venezuela are actually helping provide real care.

Health care isn't really an issue of interest on DU is it? I suppose that current Latin American endeavors in health care, both successes and failures, are of no interest to DUers?

Panda births are LBN, but breaking news in health care in two countries "of interest" isn't? LOL

-

Its a shame that you don't seem to recognize the difference between propaganda and action. (At least when it comes to Cuba/Venezuela.)



.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

6. why is this propoganda? is it not true? if it is true, why should it not be posted?

[Mika]

7. Because it bounces the Panda birth threads down? n/t

:shrug:

[Aridane]

8. That dictator Chávez is up to his old tricks again.....

That dictator Chávez is up to his old tricks again.....

Helping low-income people throughout Central America!!! Despicable! It just doesn't bear thinking about, does it? :P

[IsItJustMe]

9. I bet this kind of stuff drives the right wing nuts crazy.