Washington, Oct 20 (Prensa Latina) A prestigious association of US physicians demanded that ABC News rectify falsehoods it transmitted about public health in Cuba and defended the program of health attention on the Island.

   In a letter sent to David Westin, ABC News president, a dozen eminent US physicians criticized the biased documentary by John Stossel "Sick in theUS, healthy in Cuba?"

   They wrote that as doctors involved in teaching they have travelled to Cuba often and strongly object to the information in the Stossel report broadcast on the 20/20 program and they were horrified by the falsities reported.

   They added in the text that in Cuba medical assistance manages to do much with little and obtains results that are comparable to indicators in the United States at a fraction of the cost.

   Furthermore, a Gallup poll revealed that 96 percent of Cubans declared that they always have access to medical assistance regardless of their economic situation.

   The letter adds that the fundamental lesson of Cuban medical experience is to reach out to the poorest or distant societies or communities and provide access.

   The ABC sham lists as its only source of information the Central Intelligence Agency, which by the way, only differs with the Cuban government on life expectancy by less than a year.

   They added that they have witnessed competent gathering of health statistics in Cuba and are directly aware of the work of the Public Health Ministry and the Analysis and Tendencies Unit, the note adds.

   The document was signed by Peter Bourne, from Oxford, Alfred Brann, professor of Pediatrics, Harry Douglas, from California, Dabney Evans, Master in Public Health, and Jean Handy, doctor in philosophy of North Carolina, among other renowned professors.

PL 20-10-2007