10-24-05,7:48am

Havana, October 23 (AIN).- Cuba protects the lives of its citizens as no other country in the world can do, said President Fidel Castro during a televised informative round table discussion on the passage of hurricane Wilma on Sunday.

President Castro commented on the measures adopted to protect the Cuban population from the storm, whose effects were particularly felt in the western province of Pinar del Rio, where 35% of the local population was evacuated to safe places.

'I wish other nations could also protect their population as Cuba does,' said Fidel Castro and recalled the solidarity practiceí by the Cuban people with other nations of the world by citing the more than 100,000 blood donations offered by the island to the Peruvian population on the heels of the tragic effects of an earthquake that hit that Latin American nation.

Chile, Iran and Armenia also received Cuban medical assistance after earthquakes affected those countries and at present Cuban health professionals are offering their services in Pakistan, said the Cuban Revolution leader, and noted that some of those specialists arrived in a Pakistani locality, 3,000 meters high in the mountains, where more than half the population had died.

Nearly 20 years after the Chernobyl tragedy took place, Cuba continues to treat its victims, particularly children who were born with the effects of that accident, said Fidel Castro. He pointed out that,based on Cuba's solidarity-based tradition, the island had created the Henry Reeve international medical contingent to face catastrophes and epidemics in any part of the world.

Fidel said that shortly after the medical contingent was created Guatemala was hard hit by hurricane Stan and four 100 strong brigades of Cuban doctors made up the international medical force that went to assist the victims of that natural phenomenon.

At present some 700 Cuban doctors are giving their services in mountainous regions and remote localities in Guatemala and many other zones that remained incommunicado due to the dangerous storm.

Cuba has the human capital to help other nations of the world, even when the island is making big efforts to protect its population from hurricanes such as Wilma, which is now moving along the northern coast, said Fidel Castro.

This can only be achieved when there are organized, prepared and conscientious people like ours, concluded the Cuban President.