Report on June 2011 Trip to Cuba

Report on June 2011 Trip to Cuba

It has been a marvelous, exciting and sometimes tiring seven years since MEMO Cuba was begun. Most amazing has been the multitude of Miracles that God has performed through MEMO to bless the people of Villa Clara with improved health care. As with all human organizations, times change, people change and needs change so the need for ongoing evaluation of what we do continues.

This was the prime purpose of this trip June 4th to 14th. Accompanying me was Britt Bailey a research assistant from the Thunder Bay Regional Hospital whose purpose was to evaluate our Mammography program. This is within the context of our grant request to the Canadian Government for funds so we can expand the breast screening program to cover a population of one million Cubans. This would result in the additional saving of 100 Cuban women’s lives each year. Pray that CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) will look favourably on this new proposal. We will know if we have made the short list by the end of June.

We met with a very enthusiastic group of Oncologists in Havana who welcome the donation of the simulator we shipped two years ago to improve the effectiveness of Cobalt radiation therapy.

For a variety of reasons (none of which are MEMO’s fault) we have been asked not to ship any further containers until further notice (Maybe November). I was able to negotiate shipping an already packed container from Sioux Lookout, a small Northern community, this July. The energetic Sioux Lookout MEMO people have collected two and possibly a third container full of hospital equipment available as the result of consolidating two local hospitals
into one new hospital. Our warehouse is filling up fast so pray the issues will rapidly be solved in Cuba.

Dr Aurora’s breast screening program is functioning well and many new breast cancers are being found as she carries out her work. MEMO has the only functioning mammogram machines in Villa Clara province so her work load is extremely heavy. Pray for her.

Steve Neufeld tells me that we are no longer in the hole financially so can start raising funds for shipping the next container. If you’re interested in getting involved with MEMO, please consider making a contribution toward the next container. Thank you for your continued prayers and support.


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