The contingent of more than 250 Cuban doctors who arrived in Angola today, Friday, begins to exercise functions in the health units within 10 days, informed the Minister of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta.

Speaking to the press at the 4 de Fevereiro International Airport, he said that these professionals will be in quarantine for five days, after having already done so in Cuba for 14 days, and after this phase, they will be distributed in the 164 municipalities of the country.

He informed that the said medical staff is composed of specialists in intensive care medicine, anesthesia, infectious diseases, public and family health, with training in disaster and fighting pandemics.

"They begin to be distributed to the country after they have completed the five quarantine days, the minimum required, after having done so in Cuba, for 14 days," he said, highlighting the value that Cuban doctors will bring to Angola, at a time when that there is a great international demand for these professionals.

"The appeal that the President of the Republic made to the Cuban government made Angola one of the first and one of the few countries that received a larger contingent of doctors," said the minister, for whom, in addition to providing clinical assistance, Cuban doctors will train Angolan professionals.

In addition to Cuban professionals, Angola also imported and received 30 tons of medicines, such as Interferon, Chloroquine and Azithromycin, all used internationally to combat Covid-19.

“Cuba is a major producer of medicines and has a large pharmaceutical industry,” acknowledged Sílvia Lutucuta, who, during her brief welcome speech to doctors, highlighted the “brotherhood and historical ties that exist between sister peoples”.

“We are up to the task” - Cuban doctors.

In Angola, for the first time, the Cuban professional specializing in integrated general medicine, José Lavina, told Angop that they arrived with a “feeling of brotherhood” and helping the brother people in the fight against the pandemic.

He said that the fact that Cuba is infected, on a smaller scale, and the experience are “antidotes” so that, with Angolan professionals, it is possible to put an end to the possible spread of the disease, giving priority to preventive medicine, through health education, in communities.

“We are excited and convinced to put an end to this (disease)”, he said, when he ended, emphatically, under a solidary procession witnessed by members of the Interministerial Commission for the Response to Covid - 19, with Pedro Sebastião at the fore.