CAMAGÜEY. - Due to the current health situation for which the world endures, it does not seem so rare to me to interview the Dr. María del Carmen Romero Sánchez, that one to whom in other occasions I have always done it face to face in a friendly dialogue.
Perhaps that's why it does not give me the impression of so much distance, the social distancing is a behavior of the first order in many parts of the planet and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, where she is and Cuba, there are no exception.
We contact, through Internet, with the Camagüey´s doctor, specialist of 2nd grade in Integral General Medicine (MGI) and Auxiliary Teacher. She is the Director of Teaching of the Cuban Mission, since February, 2018.
- How is distributed the force of the personnel of health of Cuba there?
- In this moment, we are nearly 19 500 Cuban collaborators in the 24 states, of all the profiles, like: doctors, dentists, nurses and Bachelors of other related specialties.
- Is the number of women important?
- From the political tensions arisen the previous year the Cuban Department of Public Health (Minsap) decided to diminish the number of women in the Mission here, but nevertheless we are close to 50 % of the force.
- What is the evaluation received from the Venezuelan authorities?
- The medical collaboration is very appreciated by the authorities of the country from the maximum level, be said presidential, as of the departments with which we work. The leaders of each of the states (governors, mayors, authorities of health) also of the communities and the parishes. “Here the People´s Power has a lot of force and without the collaboration of the community leaders we could not have entered very complicated places”.
- How does the work routine change because of the pandemic of the COVID-19 that flogs the world?
- The president Nicolás Maduro decreed the social quarantine from last March 16, this early decision has avoided the spread of the illness in the country; there was created a position of presidential control constituted by several ministers, among them that of the People´s Power for the Health and the Cuban Medical Mission they are represented by its higher leaders who work elbow to elbow at the strategies that have been defined for the nation. “From this date the University of Sciences of the Health, which is where we work, works by means of the education over a distance and I would like to emphasize the voluntary participation of more than 15 000 students of different careers in welfare activities and of education for the health in the attention to their people.
“The Mission has direct responsibility in the patients attention with the COVID-19 in the Centers of Integral Diagnosis (CDI) in all the states, also the collaborators are employed at the inquiry of every house in the communities, accompanied by the leaders at this level and sometimes the Armed forces, as expression of the existing civic-military union.
“The colleagues of the national direction we have worked at the inquiry of every house in risk communities in the states Miranda and Capital District, in the achievement of rapid test for the detection of positive cases and in the health education of the population”.
- Apart from the above-mentioned how do you arrive from the point of view of the teaching at the time of avoiding or eradicating the COVID-19?
- We are responsible for the training of all the collaborators and of the Venezuelan personnel that works at the Barrio Adentro institutions in different topics as the facing protocol against the pandemic, as the treatment, the update and something very important, which are the biosafety norms for the protection of each one.
- What is the state of health of the Cuban that are under your care?
- There are no sick collaborators among us, we look after one another and fulfill all the stated norms of biosafety and protection, that is, this practice includes all of us.
- What would you say to your family and compatriots in so crucial moments for the health?
- To my family, my friends, my coworkers that I am well, fulfilling the entrusted task, that I am looking after myself, that when all this ends I will return to give them a big hug.
“I want to make use of the opportunity to congratulate all the students and workers of my dear University of Medical Sciences Carlos J. Finlay, of Camagüey, because next June 4th we will celebrate, this way, we will celebrate its 40th Anniversary, institution that I carry inside in a special way, where there have formed thousands and thousands of professionals of the health, to give services in Cuba and to a great part of the world”.
The Teacher María del Carmen Romero Sánchez carries the Medical University of her Camagüey in a very special way, since she was its Rector for 10 years, from February, 2008, until she went to the fellow country.
Translated by Linet Acuña Quilez
In the CDI Herrera Vega of Caracas, accompanied by the Camagüey’s nurse Duadis Soler Rodríguez.
Moment of training to collaborators for the members of the brigade Henry Reeve, in Sucre state.
Inquiry in the municipality Acevedo, Miranda state.
In the diplomas delivery management improvement course.