Havana, May 28 (RHC) Peruvian President Ollanta Humala praised the work developed by the Cuban health brigade in his country.

Humala personally thanked the 45 members of the Cuban medical brigade during a ceremony held over the weekend at the Cuban embassy in Lima.

Humala arrived, accompanied by his wife, First Lady Nadine Heredia, to express his people’s gratitude to the medical brigade that concluded its work in the southern Incan region.

The Peruvian president recalled that Cuba’s health cooperation with his country began 42 years ago in the wake of the devastation caused by an earthquake that hit Peru on May 31, 1970. At the time, even then Cuban President Fidel Castro donated blood for the Peruvian victims of the disaster.

“You all are part of that huge, humane effort --that blood that Cubans continue to donate in order to save Peruvian lives” Humala said and stressed both countries’ determination to further strengthen bilateral friendship ties.

Peruvian Health Deputy Minister Percy Minaya also thanked the Cubans that arrived in the Incan region to offer their services in the wake of the earthquake in August, 2007.

The Cuban brigade that has just concluded its work in Peru offered their services in 11 Peruvian regions, treated some 200,000 patients and performed some 4,000 surgeries.

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