Barrio Adentro: Seven Years Saving Venezuelan Lives http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2010/april/18/latinamerica10041803.htm

The community health program Barrio Adentro arrived this Friday to seven years of free medical care with quality in Venezuela, where the lives of around 1.650.000 people have been saved.The initiative launched by the leaders of the Cuban and Venezuelan revolutions Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez, respectively, began with 53 doctors of the island located in the poorest parishes of Caracas, who became an army of thousand white coats from both nations.

Virtually no corner of the country has not been benefited from the health service, considering that the government estimates in 95 percent the coverage area of the mission. Opponents criticize Barrio Adentro, but go to their practices. With hats and glasses, many of them try not to be recognized, told to Prensa Latina the vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela Diosdado Cabello.To ensure an effective and continuous care in the different levels of health, the executive has made multimillion investments.

In the wide and modern infrastructure of the program stand 6711 clinics that since 2003 have offered 403 million of consultations.Also complement the medical care network 504 Integral Diagnostic Centers, 556 Integral Rehabilitation Rooms, 27 High Technology Centers and 126 operating rooms.Thanks to the equipment and the high professional level of 44 805 doctors, specialists, and technicians from Cuba and Venezuela, 774 million tests and treatments have been carried out in this practices, previously inaccessible to most people.