HAVANA, October 23 (RIA Novosti) - Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro has discussed healthcare issues with Ecuador Vice President Lenin Moreno Garces, the country's media said on Friday.

Moreno arrived to the island on the four-day visit with a purpose to study social support of disabled persons in Cuba. The Ecuadorean official has been wheelchair-bound for about 11 years, as a result of a gunshot wound sustained during a failed assassination attempt.

Castro has rarely been seen in public since he ceded power to his younger brother, Raul, who officially became president in February 2008. He made a major public appearance in late August, when a 24-minute video of his meeting with Venezuelan law students was broadcast on national TV.

In late September Castro met with Cyprus President Demetris Christofias.