Cuban Chernobyl Program Turns 17

[Mika]

Cuba Chernobyl Program Turns 17
http://www.escambray.cu/Eng/news/Cchernobil0703291713.htm

Havana, Mar 29 (Prensa Latina) Like a "song of hope", Cuba remembered Thursday its program to assist children affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident, which has benefited thousands of Ukrainians in 17 years.

"Granma" newspaper sums up in an extensive article the efforts to cover the large number of minors affected in that tragedy, which includes over 23,000 children and adults from Ukraine, Russia and Belarussia.

The daily reports in its two central pages with photos of smiling children a sign of optimism in spite of the complicated treatment they are receiving.

"Vladimir was reborn due to Cuba. To hug his mother now is not a problem", states a caption illustrating the improvement of health of a young Ukrainian man, who arrived in Cuba with 15 incurable conditions. "Now he is walking, which is an enormous source of happiness for me", states his mother Svieta Saulasky.

According to the newspaper, the first group of 136 children with dangerous onco-hematological illnesses from Chernobil arrived in Havana on March 29, 1990 and was welcomed by President Fidel Castro at the capital's airport.

Julio Medina, director of the Tarara Children Hospital and coordinator of the medical program, said the facility has assisted about 3,000 patients and those accompanying persons.