Ecuador to Prioritize Import of Cuban Medicines

[El Presidente]

Ecuador to Prioritize Import of Cuban Medicines

Havana, Cuba, Aug 15.- Ecuadorean president Rafael Correa announced on Saturday that his country would prioritize the import of Cuban medicines over those produced by big transnational companies.

During his weekly radio and television program ‘Enlace Ciudadano’, Correa explained that the Ecuadorean Minister of Public Health would earmark $1.3 billion to purchase medicines, giving priority to domestic suppliers and to Cuban imports.

“Only medicines not produced in Ecuador or exported by Cuba will be bought from other suppliers,” he pointed out.

The Ecuadorean leader acknowledged the world prestige of Cuban medicine and noted that this decision is also in reciprocity to Havana’s cooperation with Ecuador in this field.

In this regard, he praised the contribution of Cuban health specialists in a nationwide program to identify and support disabled people and also the training of Ecuadorean youths at the Havana-based Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), who will return to Ecuador to take care of the people’s needs in their places of origin and in remote areas of the country. (ACN)