Spanish surgeon flown to Cuba to treat Castro

Posted on Sun, Dec. 24, 2006

Report: Spanish surgeon flown to Cuba to treat Castro
By Associated Press

MADRID, Spain A leading Spanish surgeon has flown to Cuba to treat Fidel
Castro, a Spanish newspaper reports today.

Castro, 80, has not appeared in public since undergoing emergency
intestinal surgery in July. Since then, there has been little
information from Cuba regarding his condition. Castro put his younger
brother, Raul, in charge of government.

Now, the Barcelona-based El Periodico says Dr. Jose Luis Garcia Sabrido,
chief surgeon at Madrid's Gregorio Maranon hospital, was taken on
Thursday by a Cuban government chartered aircraft to Havana.

The newspaper says the surgeon brought with him medical supplies not
available in Cuba.

Although aware of Castro's condition, Sabrido was to examine the Cuban
leader in person before deciding whether he should undergo more surgery,
the newspaper says.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a close ally of Castro, recently
denied reports that the Cuban communist leader was suffering from cancer.

No one was available today at either the Gregorio Maranon hospital or
the Cuban embassy to comment on the Spanish report.

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