At the Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina(Latin-American Medicine School, ELAM),which is about to celebrate its 22nd anniversary, basic science laboratories, classrooms and student residence buildings have been revitalized, in addition to the food processing center, the kitchen-dining room, common spaces and the façade of the university facility, said Yosdanky Jacinto Alfonso Reyes, Vice-rector of Assurance and Services.

He detailed that for 2020-2021 they had planned to execute 30 objects of work and they have already finished 21, some of them were capital repairs, which will still make it possible to increase the capacities and a better preparation of the students.

Regarding the construction project, the director of the school, Yoandra Muro Valle, ELAM´S rector, added that before November 15th, 1999, the center was the site of the Gramma Naval Academy, which in a few month was remodeled to become what it is today.

¨Since then ELAM has grown a lot, at that time there were students from 18 countries and nowadays we have students from 74 nations, who live in the facilities and consider them their school, their teaching hospital, their home and their family¨, she said.

She added that in February 2022 the incorporation of new students is foreseen and that there are 30 360 graduates from 118 countries who have passed through its classrooms.

Read: ELAM, the medical ¨path¨ that the virus did not cross.

In order to improve the infrastructure of the William Soler Pediatric Teaching Hospital, in accordance with the medical care indicators, an extensive process of constructive maintenance is undergoing at the institution.

Manuel González, Director of the hospital, mentioned that the repairs have included the blood and human milk bank, important wards such as the oncology, gastroenterology and the hepatology ward as well as the restoration of the perimeter fence, the hospital entrance, the protocol room, the kitchen and other areas.

A remarkable construction work was done at the former seat of the Instituto de Hematología e Inmunología where a Pediatric Surgery Teaching Center was created, where residents of Pediatric Surgery can practice procedures and perform training surgical interventions. 

A survival rate higher than the 90 % in oncology care and neonatal surgery is registered at William Soler. This is the only place in the country that performs airway, spinal, high complexity neonatal, glaucoma, congenital cataract, hepatobiliary and liver transplant surgeries in pediatric population. 

He pointed out that during this year, despite the Covid-19 pandemic there were admitted 5215 children from all provinces, 61 762 were attended at there were performed all those necessary surgeries to prevent affections that in case of prolonging the condition it could cause sequelae.

In regard with the oncology patients, Dr. Caridad Verdecia Cañizares, head of the service, stated that this is one of the prioritized wards that first received constructive maintenance, helping to the follow –up of patients and their care.

Guaranteeing a good constructive state of the health institutions is a priority task for the Ministry of Health, aim that is executed despite of limitations imposed by Covid-19 pandemic and the economic, financial, commercial blockade of the United States to Cuba.

Source: MINSAP website