Among measures adopted, to address COVID-19, were the provision of differentiated attention by social workers for the most at-risk households and the granting of temporary monetary social assistance benefits to this segment of the population.

Toward this end, Belkis Delgado Cáceres, the ministry’s director of Prevention, Assistance and Social Work, reported that municipal directors of Labor departments and City Councils were authorized to expedite the approval process for such benefits.

She likewise reported that social workers have been “permanently linked” to commercial food service providers contracted by Family Care Services (SAF), since home delivery has been expanded over these three months, with individuals who did not previously need the service added, to ensure access to prepared meals.

Social Protection Centers serving individuals found living on the streets, including temporary sites added across the country given the health emergency, have a total of 71 social workers on hand to provide support, while 21 work in isolation centers for persons who have been exposed to the new coronavirus.

Decentralizing Social Assistance procedures and transferring authority to local bodies, has been “positive,” Delgado stated, “Since this is where the problem and the budget are located, and the exceptional circumstances can be analyzed.”

“We have ensured that home delivery for basic services has been maintained, in a country with 21% of our population being older adults,” she added.

THE BUDGET RESPONDS

During an exceptional situation like the battle against COVID-19, when many were obliged to stay home to protect their health, or care for other family members, some households saw their income sharply reduced, but no one was left to their own devices.

“In these three months (March, April and May) there was a modest increase of 2,155 families requiring protection, which was to be expected, since more people have been supported who were not previously vulnerable, but now need help,” Delgado stated.

From March through the month of May, 1,700,000 pesos were allocated to households in need of support, as monetary benefits from Social Assistance or subsidies from Family Services.

During this period, municipal councils and provincial governments approved the delivery of resources to more than 1,600 persons, involving over three million pesos, funding that covered the delivery of essential items, including clothing, footwear, lingerie, furniture, kitchen utensils, mattresses and appliances, among others.

In the post-COVID-19 recovery period’s three phases, Social Assistance will maintain protection for vulnerable groups. “The next step is to maintain this protection until there the population’s economic situation has been normalized,” Delgado said.

“This exceptional effort is being made, even though efforts to tighten the U.S. government’s economic blockade of Cuba have not ceased.”

In figures:

-36 measures were adopted to address labor, wage and social security issues generated by the pandemic

-77,180 workers have benefitted from wage guarantees

-78,301 mothers and fathers with children in primary education have benefitted from wage and labor protection, while 10,955 children have attended early childhood day care centers

-8,776 at-risk workers isolated in their homes, as mandated by health authorities, benefitted from salary protection measures

-71,409 older adults provided differentiated support (over 60 and those in poor health)

-243,308 self-employed persons benefitted from temporary tax exemptions.

(Source: Granma)

The highest body of the Cuban government approved the creation of a task force charged with developing new measures to strengthen efforts to combat the new coronavirus. The group includes heads of various ministries and is led by Deputy Prime Minister Alejandro Gil Fernández.

Gil Fernández presented an initial assessment of the impact the pandemic will have on the Cuban economy. “It is not a matter of one geographical region, but of the entire world, with a decline in tourism, travel and consumption in many countries that is impacting production and employment,” he stated.

We are not talking about a matter of days, weeks or months, this will not be resolved in the short term, he said. “We must prepare to provide an organized, planned response, without improvisation, that will allow us to move forward.”

Gil Fernández, also Minister of Economy and Planning, explained that in the case of Cuba, income from exports, especially tourism, has already been affected, but other exportable lines are facing a decrease in demand and logistical problems on an international level, especially in terms of maritime and air cargo shipping.

(Source: Granma)

Difficulties in importing products are also emerging, given problems generated by the pandemic in producing countries; the devaluation of currencies with which the Cuban economy operates; and the impact on the productive levels of the state and non-state sector, and of foreign investment.

In addition to the hardship created by the Covid-19 pandemic, he denounced the U.S. blockade, with more than 300 measures imposed in recent months. There is no change, at this difficult time, he said, financial persecution of the island’s transactions and associates continues, as well as efforts to disrupt our fuel supply.

“We must focus on our strengths,” he said. “First, centralized planning, that gives us the ability to allocate material and financial resources where they are most needed and not where the market might direct them.”

“Here goods do not go where the highest price can be charged, nor where there is most demand; here resources are allocated according to the main priorities for the protection of the people,” he stated.

Other strengths we have, he said, include sovereignty in the management of budgetary resources; an inclusive social policy that calls on all economic actors to join in the solution of problems under the principle of thinking as a country; and experience gained in making adjustments to plans and budgets, given more than 60 years of blockade and economic aggression.

This is the basis on which new measures are being designed, he said, without any kind of improvisation. The situation is complex, which demands from us an organized and objective response to face this context, requiring more planning, carefully controlled implementation of measures, more rigorous compliance and more discipline on the part of economic actors.

Regarding new decisions made to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on Cuba, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz said that economic and social arenas are being addressed as well, going beyond health-related work, and that strict compliance is needed with measures in these arenas, implementation of which the government will closely supervise.

He also referred to occasional disregard of government instructions to contain the dangerous disease, saying that enforcement must be reinforced, fundamentally by local governments, which must confront problems and support the National Revolutionary Police, since this battle is everyone’s.

Along these lines, Marrero spoke of the need to establish mechanisms to inform the population of possible fines and other sanctions that will be applied when regulations related to the Covid-19 battle are violated.

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS AGENDA

The country cannot halt its efforts to advance development despite the challenges presented by the health emergency. Thus the Council of Ministers also addressed other issues that impact the lives of Cubans.

On this occasion, the highest body of government approved a government plan for Prevention and Confrontation of Crime and Illegalities affecting Forests, Flora and Fauna, as well as other natural resources.

In this regard, the President of the Republic was emphatic in pointing out that there are illegalities that have been evident for some time, that have come to be considered normal, and have not been addressed. We are going to institute order in this arena, the President said, and have to “roll up our sleeves.”

Also approved by the Council of Ministers was a policy to improve the country’s system of copyright and other rights of a similar nature, which, it was explained, is governed by Article 62 of the Constitution of the Republic of Cuba and allows for broad access to literary and artistic creation, combined with the recognition of creators for their work. Also updated were regulations on this subject, which date back three decades.

A Urban Planning plan for the city of Caibarién, located in the central province of Villa Clara and closely tied to tourist development on the area’s northern keys, was also adopted.

On another point, Minister of Finance and Prices Meisi Bolaños Weiss presented measures to strengthen accounting practices, which include the prioritization of accounting activity; training and preparation of cadres and technicians; and social recognition of these important professionals.

Among other topics, Minister of Transportation Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila presented a report on the Port -Transport -Internal Economy project, known as OPTEI, which is promoting the good practices with which this work was carried out for years under the direction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.

In this important logistic process, he noted, there are objective shortcomings that will be resolved as financing and resources become available, but also others that involve better organization, discipline and control.

Related to these issues, Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Rodrigo Malmierca reported on the impact of irregularities on foreign trade operations, an arena that is periodically reviewed by Council of Ministers.

Malmierca also presented an update on priority foreign investment projects. As of the end of 2019, he stated, 287 such businesses had been established on the island, mainly in the tourism and energy sectors.

In the first two months of this year, another six have been approved, showing the priority that Cuba gives to this modality, which is growing even amidst the economic battle being waged to confront intensification of the blockade and the activation of the Helms-Burton Act’s Title III.

Despite the aggression the Cuban economy must face, to which the Covid-19 battle is now added, the country is responding based on our strengths, leaving no one behind, a maxim that has always guided the Revolution.

(Source: Granma)

According to Public Health Minister Jose Angel Portal Miranda, the island continues to have no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus that has already affected 104 nations. To date, 30 travelers have been admitted to hospitals for observation and, in addition to a previous eight, seven more were tested for Covid-19, all with negative results, confirming that the country remains free of the disease.

The videoconference with all provincial governors and the Isle of Youth’s superintendent, evaluated was the intense work carried out over the last few days to implement the Prevention and Control Plan, including certification of premises for isolation and hospitalization of identified patients; the production of masks within the country; health hearings in communities and workplaces; training for all involved; attention to the most vulnerable populations, and the public information campaign to keep the population updated and well advised.

During the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Roberto Morales Ojeda reported that the first segment of Covid-19 training is currently underway, and will continue to provide specific courses for different sectors.

He insisted on the need to certify sites where patients will be treated, to ensure that conditions meet established parameters, and, reported that a Ministry of Public Health commission is currently touring the country to inspect the locales designated as mandated in the Plan.

Morales also emphasized training for personnel who would be working in these medical units, on a voluntary basis, for a prolonged period of time. He emphasized issues such as conditions for rest breaks and other details foreseen for quarantine facilities.

In the meeting with governors – which is held every month and on this occasion had as its main topic the new coronavirus – the ministers of Industry and Domestic Commerce confirmed that the country has a sufficient, stable supply of chlorine to disinfect surfaces. At this time, she reported, face masks are being imported, while their fabrication by national and local industry has begun.

The Prime Minister instructed governors and superintendents to pay special attention to points on highways where travelers gather, including service stations and cafeterias; while reducing as much as possible the movement of sick patients, and continuing to monitor the health of passengers at border ports of entry, which has been very effective to date, he added.

The first part of a cycle has been completed, he said, now we will move to a counter-offensive, with other measures in the Plan.

(Source: Granma)

89

In this regard, it is worth mentioning the construction of several facilities, including the first unit for the evaluation of physical performance of older adults in Cuba – and one of the few existing in Latin America and the Caribbean -opened on October 1, 2019, taking into consideration the concept of healthy aging, promoted by the World Health Organization.

“This unit makes it possible to evaluate functional capacity based on variables such as walking speed and muscle strength, among other essential aspects. It also supports the diagnosis and rehabilitation of elderly persons with reduced functional capacity and promotes the development of research in key areas of aging and the training of competent human resources,” explained Dr. Lilian Rodriguez Rivera, director of the Center for Research on Longevity, Aging and Health.

In previous statements, Dr. Iván Tápanes López, specialist in Geriatrics and Gerontology, and head of the Center’s physical performance unit, reported that the facility has high-tech equipment which allows for better diagnoses and assistance, research and comprehensive assessment from the physical point of view, evaluating the performance of activities like walking and others requiring physical effort and strength.

Similarly, on November 21, last year, the Alzheimer’s and Cognitive Disorders Center opened in the municipality of Habana Vieja, also the only one of its kind in Cuba, specializing in early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s, support for caregivers, family members and professionals involved in the care of older adults who suffer from this health problem, and research that contributes to improving the care and management of these patients, as well as working with institutions associated with the BioCubaFarma state entrrpise group, according to Dr. Rodriguez.

On the day of its inauguration, Dr. Niurka Casado Barralesuna said that a priority of the institution will be the preparation courses, to contribute to supporting the establishment of memory clinics at the municipal level, for the identification of the most complex cases, she explained.

With services including nursing, geriatrics, social assessment, neuropsychology and group therapy, the center is committed to comprehensive treatment and has computerized systems.

For its part, the Center for Longevity, Aging and Health is developing a training program for the specialty of Gerontology and Geriatrics; a new study plan for Master’s degrees in Public Health and Aging; and clinical nutrition and sarcopenia consultation (a term that describes the degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass and reduction of muscle strength that occurs with aging) have begun as outpatient services.

Likewise, at the Center for Research on Longevity, Aging and Health, 15 protocols for hospital care were updated and others approved for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, malnutrition, and related to the use of anesthesia in elderly patients at high surgical risk, with the goal of implementing these nationwide.

In relation to academia and the importance of lifelong learning, the new study plan for MSc in Public Health and Aging is in the design phase, as well as a professional development course in Gerontology and Geriatrics.

The National Program for the Care of the Elderly, with its three subsystems: community, hospital and institutional, is also in the process of being updated.

The committee and working group for the development of the specialty on the island was created at the Longevity, Aging and Health Center i, and the program for the development of the specialty of geriatrics for the period 2020-2025 is currently in the working phase.

Good health must be an essential component of society’s response to the aging population, added Dr. Rodríguez Rivera, who recalled a thought expressed by Comandante en jefe Fidel Castro Ruz, who said, “The most humane thing a society can do is to care for the elderly.”

ADRESSING DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS

In addition to these centers, in response to demographic trends, Cuba has continued to prioritize care for the elderly.

With advances made this past year, a total of 53 services in this specialty are now available in Geriatrics, with 1,063 beds destined for these patients, 53 more than at the close of 2018, according to the Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, in a review of 2019.

During this period, the number of beds in the 155 nursing homes increased, for a total of 12,419, as well as two new community centers for the elderly, for a total of 295.

More than 973,000 older adults joined grandparents’ circles during the year and 29 mental health departments were created, bringing the total to 178 nationwide.

IN CONTEXT

-In 2019, 675 patients were admitted by the Center for Research on Longevity, Aging and Health, a greater number than 2018.

-The occupation rate was 78%.

-The average stay was 7.9 days, 1 day less than in 2018.

-Some 7,579 medical consultations were provided, slightly less than the number reported in 2018.

-Some 401 surgical procedures were performed, higher than reported over the last five years and 123 more than in 2018.

-The clean surgical wound rate was positive, with no infections reported.

-The average preoperative stay was 1.7 days, less than in 2018.

-The introduction of minimally invasive surgery is advancing successfully.

(Granma)

The U.S. President is definitely obsessed with Cuba and Venezuela, leading him to be irrational, compulsive, monothematic, and rude, repeating absurd arguments that are not believed even in his own country.
Cuba has exposed these and many other slanders invented in Washington, with reason and truth on our side. The only troops we have in Venezuela are the Cuban doctors in our army of white coats, helping to save millions lives there, as do thousands of others in many parts of the world. Our teachers and professors are also working in the Bolivarian nation, serving as coordinators and advisors to missions that have raised the quality of education in that country and taken it to the most remote places. There are art instructors who rescue and reinforce national and Latin American identity, and athletes who work in the recruitment and training of talented young Venezuelans, to represent the country in international competitions.

Trump’s aberrations, like as those of his advisor John Bolton – another pathological liar – unwittingly show who is really responsible for the situation in Venezuela: the same people desperately attempting to economically asphyxiate the Cuban people, to subjugate us with hunger and diseases, discredit the will and love that our collaborators spread, and debase the very essence of solidarity.

- Cuba has 48,000 health professionals cooperating in 66 nations of the South, more than all rich countries together. Only in Venezuela, Cuban cooperation has helped save 1.5 million lives, in 12 years.

- The Henry Reeve Medical Brigade, specialized in natural disasters and severe epidemics, was recognized in 2017 by the World Health Organization, for serving more than 3,500,000 people in 21 countries.

- More than 4,000,000 individuals with limited resources, from 34 countries, have been provided eye surgery free of charge, through Operation Milagro.

(Cubainformación)

Geneva, Cuba on Wednesday defended health care as a basic human right and expressed concern for the financial, food, energy and environmental crisis gripping the world.

Addressing the 64th Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO), Cuban Deputy Health Minister Jose Angel Portal stated that the current international situation is affecting many countries.

In many places, in addition to hunger and malnutrition, the people have limited access to health services, particularly the poorest sectors, Portal said.

The Cuban official said it was positive that the WHO meeting had prioritized the issue of prevention and control of non-transmissible diseases, taking into account the current world situation of morbidity and mortality.

Portal reaffirmed Cuba’s support for the WHO strategy to fight non-transmissible diseases, based on surveillance, primary prevention and stronger healthcare systems.

The Cuban deputy minister also used the opportunity to highlight his country’s achievements in this sector, such as an infant mortality rate of 4.5 per 1,000 live births at the end of 2010.