After having already “donated” 20 hospitals to Bolivia, the Cuban government is matching that with another 20, with the help of Venezuela.

Last September, Cuba finished construction on and the equipping of 20 hospitals in rural communities.

In addition, Cuba has also built 7 opthamological centers where the ‘Operación Milagro’ progam is carried out, which are free eye operations for the poor.

These hospitals now have the equipement necessary to do complete diagnoses, from X-rays, ultrasounds, EKGs and lab work, as well as operating rooms and specialized staff, said the minister.

Ten of the 20 new hospitals will follow this pattern and the other ten will receive only basic equipment to get them up and running.

According to Spain’s 20 Minutos, the Cuban Medical Brigade currently has 1,681 of its doctors and nurses in Bolivia, and doctors have performed over 36,000 cataract surgeries.

Earlier this year, Bolivian doctors protested the presence of the Cuban physicians, accusing them of taking away their jobs.

Via / 20 Minutos and BBC News