Speaking at the opening ceremony recently, the Parliamentary Representative for Portsmouth underlined the depth of the friendship that has existed between Dominica and Cuba for nearly thirty years. Douglas lamented the fact that some of the persons who first initiated the friendship between Dominica and Cuba are no longer alive, but added, “I say that their vision will live on in our hearts and minds forever and we know who they are.”

The Attorney General used the opportunity to reiterate the vision of the Government for the health sector: “This dream and this vision for a better standard of living for all Dominicans is now becoming a reality. Today we have not only sons of the soil who can actually participate in the provision of better health care to all our citizens but we have persons from Cuba who have come down to Dominica to help us in our quest to bring to all Dominicans a better standard of living and I say to them thank you very much.”

Financed by the Government of Cuba, the Diagnostic Centre, which will be able to diagnose certain diseases, has an Endoscopy Department, an Ultrasound Department, an X-Ray Department, a Medical Laboratory, an Intensive Care Unit and a Biomedical Engineering Department. In addition there are also a series of cardiac monitors to be used to monitor patients’ pulse, heart rhythm and oxygen saturation among other functions.

In addition to providing state-of-the-art equipment for the Diagnostic Centre, the Cuban Government has also provided a radiologist, two critical care specialist doctors, a specialist in gastroscopy, one radiographer, two laboratory technologists, four critical care nurses and a biomedical engineer.