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US Works with Cuba to Provide Health Care for Haiti


American and Cuban doctors working together to help Haitians at St. Luc's hospital, Haiti, Sept. 17, 2015. (Photo: U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince)
American and Cuban doctors working together to help Haitians at St. Luc's hospital, Haiti, Sept. 17, 2015. (Photo: U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince)

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.

Last 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.

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