A U.S. diplomat says his country and Cuba have a "historic opportunity" to work together to provide medical care for Haiti, still struggling to recover from a devastating 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people.
Brian Shukan, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince said Thursday that following the re-establishment of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Cuba, the doctors of both countries could work together to help improve Haiti's dilapidated health care system.
Chargé #BrianShukan, Minister @FlorenceGuillau & Cuban Ambassador meet to talk #health in #Haiti. #ContinuingPromise pic.twitter.com/bhU9AAXlj7
— US Embassy Haiti (@USEmbassyHaiti) September 17, 2015Last week, Cuban doctors visited the U.S. hospital ship USNS Comfort docked in Port-au-Prince where the ship's medical staff has been providing free health care to Haitians during the ship's Haiti mission.
Cuba is well-known for sending thousands of its doctors to poor countries around the world, providing free medical care.
Earlier this year, the U.S. and Cuba re-established diplomatic ties that were severed more than 50 years ago.