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Prime Minister's Press Secretary
Thursday, March 2, 2006 - Over ten thousand St. Lucians have benefited from the
Cuban Eye Care Programme in the first five months of operation on the island.
That’s the word from Health Minister Damian greaves.
According to the Minister, 10,000 persons were examined between August 2005 and
January 2006 by the contingent of Cuban eye doctors on the island to implement
the programme.
After being examined, he said, some 2,000 persons have been recommended for
surgery, of which 1,000 have already travelled to Cuba for treatment.
The programme, which began in August 2005, sees St. Lucians getting free eye
examinations by the Cuban ophthalmologists and hundred of St. Lucians have
received surgical operations in Havana to correct eye problems.
Many of those who have been to Cuba were operated on both eyes.
The programme is quite popular among St. Lucians and in December last year, at
the request of the Government of St. Lucia, it was extended for another full
year, ending in December 2006.
