On January 4, 1984 at the Lawton Polyclinic, belonging to the capital city of October 10, a small group of doctors and nurses began a new model of care aimed at improving the health status of the population, based on a clinical approach. , epidemiological and social.
Through attention to the individual, the family, the community and the environment, and with social, community and intersectoral participation, the Family Doctor and Nurse Program was born, a program that under the leadership of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro It spread throughout the country and today it reached its 38th anniversary of creation.
A representation of these men and women, who over the years have become the essence of the National Health System, were recognized this Tuesday by Jorge Luis Broche Lorenzo, member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, José Ángel Portal Miranda, Minister of Public Health, and Santiago Badía González, Secretary General of the National Union of Health Workers.
Dr. María Elena Soto Entenza, head of the Department of Primary Health Care (PHC) of the Ministry of Public Health, pointed out in a ceremony held at the Cojímar Convention Center that the Program has enabled more effective, equitable and efficient medical care .
He said that they currently have 449 polyclinics and 11,406 family doctor and nurse offices, of them 11,127 at the community level; an immense care and teaching scenario that has family health as its axis, he stressed.
In the last two years, he added, the relevance of the Program in the confrontation with COVID-19 was demonstrated, where its professionals were protagonists of multiple feats in the communities, isolation centers, vaccinations, in the care of the convalescent and from abroad as part of the Henry Reeve Brigades.
Soto Entenza also called to strengthen the work of physicians and nursing professionals and expressed the absolute assurance that they will continue to count on them in the beautiful battle for the life of our people.
After 38 years dedicated to assisting the population of the Antonio Maceo urban district, in Santiago de Cuba, Dr. Elsa María Budegén de Dios affirmed that a family doctor must be characterized by sensitivity, consecration and sacrifice, and must also be stable to know well the diseases that afflict its population.
The affection of her people meant that, over time, she remained in the same office where she started, and today there are many experiences that she treasures. She said that her patients saw her arrive young and they are already like family, she even attended the birth of a baby whose mother she attended since she was a child, and that comforts and makes her proud.
About how complex 2021 was for PHC and especially for the Program, Dr. Fernando Vargas Ramos, director of Public Health of the Old Havana municipality, spoke, saying that they have not rested in order to win the battle against COVID-19 from all possible scenarios.
Our Army in White Coats has grown, as has the country. Today we have the responsibility of promoting family medicine in Cuba, reinforcing health promotion and prevention actions to achieve better care, he stressed.
During the day, 54 professionals also received the Manuel “Piti” Fajardo Rivero Distinction, for their outstanding performance without interruption for more than 20 and 25 years in the Family Doctor and Nurse Program.
