In Cuba, Medical Students Provide Door-to-door Virus Care

Havana, April 2 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Apr, 2020 ) :Student doctors in Cuba are trudging from house to house trying to identify cases of the coronavirus pandemic to stop it from spreading in the Caribbean island nation.

"How many people live here? Have you been in contact with foreigners? Do you know the health rules to follow?" they ask.

Some 28,000 students repeat the same questions dozens of times a day, all across the country.

In the Vedado neighborhood of Havana, Liz Caballero Gonzalez, a 46-year-old doctor, accompanies two students charged with canvassing an area that is home to 300 families each day.

In a country where many people wear face masks -- and some shops won't allow customers in unless they have one -- the only thing that sets the students apart is their white gowns.

Cuba was one of the last countries in Latin America to close its borders, desperate to keep the tourism revenue it relies on.

It finally caved on March 24 and now has 212 coronavirus cases and six deaths. As a precaution, close to 2,800 people are receiving hospital care.

In its fight against coronavirus, Cuba is relying on its world renown health services: According to the World Health Organization the country has 82 physicians per 10,000 people, compared with 40 for Russia, 26 for the United States and 18 for China.