The President of the Councils of State and Ministers, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, led a recent work related meeting where the current situation of the Cuban health system, one of the most important social programs developed by the Revolution, was analyzed in a general way.

It is possible that sometimes the financial resources to carry out certain actions are insufficient, but what we can not miss is to cultivate the detail in the service offered by our health institutions

and take care not to unnecessarily deteriorate the medical equipment or facilities, said the President.

José Ángel Portal Miranda, Minister of Public Health, reported on the work being carried out to improve care in clinics, polyclinics, hospitals and institutes, at the same time that a greater scientific progress has been consolidated, which is also a guarantee of development.

It was explained that in the infrastructure of the Cuban health system there are, among other institutions, more than 10 thousand 800 family medical offices, 450 polyclinics, 12 institutes, 29 blood banks, 150 homes for the elderly, 13 universities and 25 faculties of medical Sciences. They employ more than 480 thousand health workers, 71% of whom are women.

The aging of the population, of which 20.1% currently have 60 years or more, together with the decrease in fertility and birth rates, constitutes one of the main challenges for our health system. Faced with this reality, a set of measures has been adopted aimed at increasing homes for the elderly, geriatric services, circles and homes for grandparents care for the infertile couple, among other actions associated with the demographic scenario of the country.

Other challenges are the increase of chronic non-communicable diseases; climate change and that research and technological innovations respond to the main health problems.

Regarding the most significant results product to the transformations developed in the health system, Portal Miranda said that from 2010 to 2018 pay rolls were adapted to the needs of the services, which allowed a more efficient use of human resources.

The number of medical specialties offered in the polyclinics was also increased to achieve greater resolution and quality of the services provided at this level of care.

In the same way, in 2017, figures higher than the previous year were recorded in primary care consultations and in surgeries; in the latter, more than one million interventions have been carried out for the sixth consecutive year.

The infant mortality rate of 3.8 per thousand live births has allowed this figure to remain below five for ten years. It was also highlighted that since 2015, Cuba has become the first country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and congenital syphilis.

Medical teaching was recognized as another of the strengths, both in undergraduate and postgraduate courses, which allows a sustained development of professionals with an increasingly superior training.

Likewise, it was pointed out about science, innovation and quality; clinical trials; the increase of the local production of phytopharmaceuticals and apipharmaceuticals; the incorporation of medical technologies; the results in the economy and services; medical cooperation abroad; the export of services and the computerization of the national health system.

As priorities of work for the current year, the Minister of Public Health defined the need to consolidate the transformations that allow to advance in the rescue of the foundational concepts of the Program of the Doctor and the Nurse of the Family, as well as in the solution of the problems that still affect the quality of the services provided in health institutions.

He also commented, among others, the strengthening of hygiene, epidemiology and microbiology; perfect pre and postgraduate educational teaching work; the development of science; improve the quality of pharmaceutical services; continue to increase international medical collaboration and guarantee the efficiency and rational use of resources in the sector.

About the program of the doctor and the nurse of the family, the vice president of the Councils of State and Ministers, Roberto Morales Ojeda, assessed that it is key to discharge from the hospitals the unnecessary attention of a group of patients whose ailments could be treated with effectiveness in the clinics and contribute, in addition, to saving resources.

Meanwhile, the Cuban President insisted on paying special attention to the good treatment of the personnel working in the different health institutions, from a body of guard to any specialized consultation. This is a sector where there is a lot of commitment, experience and culture, he acknowledged.