VP launches 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations
with Ghana
Accra, May 8, Ghanadot/GNA
– Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday appealed to the
US to consider lifting the decades-long economic embargo it has
imposed on Cuba.
Speaking at a programme to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties
between Ghana and Cuba in Accra, the Vice President appealed to
the US to allow for a thawing in the relations between the two
on the basis that “all nations great or small have the right to
determine their own destiny.”
The US in 1959 imposed an economic blockade on the island nation
of Cuba and despite worldwide opposition the sanctions have
remained in place, stifling the health of the Cuban economy.
US President Barrack Obama recently announced an easing in the
travel restrictions imposed on the island. However, the cardinal
principle of the blockade, isolating Cuba economically from the
Western world remains intact.
Vice President Mahama re-echoed the stance taken by the bulk
of the membership of the United Nations that calls for
the lifting of the blockade, describing it as
“suffocating”.
“Ghana joins the vast majority of member states of the United
Nations in calling upon the United States to lift the
suffocating economic blockade it has imposed on Cuba,” Vice
President Mahama said.
Cuba continues to be a major player in the global geo-political
arena, granting military and economic assistance to many
developing nations.
The country has achieved some important development milestones
which have led to the elimination of illiteracy and a
doctor-patient ratio of I to 100, leading to an estimated life
expectancy of 77 years.
Cuba is also cited as being among the forces that hastened the
demise of apartheid in South Africa.
Vice President Mahama said “racism has been substantially
shattered in Africa partly due to the intervention of Cuba”.
With regard to ties with Ghana the Vice President said Cuba
continued to send high level professionals to fill the dearth in
manpower in the health sector, approving the development as “the
most outstanding contributions of Cuba to Ghana’s development
efforts”.
“The heroism of some of these health workers has been striking.
Last year as conflict broke out in Bawku and even Ghanaians were
fleeing from the mayhem, Cuban doctors stayed on to look after
the sick and the wounded just as they had done in Wenchi a
couple of years earlier,” he added.
Dr Benjamin Kumbour, Deputy Minister of Health, said Cuba had
since 2000 provided the ministry with a constant pool of 200
medical doctors and other auxiliary health staff working as
professors in the medical schools, cardiologists, paediatricians
and physician specialists among others.
Collectively, these professionals attended to 1.7 million cases
and performed nearly 18,000 surgeries in 2008 alone.
Dr Miguel Perez Cruz, Cuban Ambassador, said more than 1,000
Ghanaians have benefited from scholarship facilities from Cuba.
GNA