Havana’s José Martí International Airport Terminal-3 has a new look

Among the repair works completed were improved lighting in passenger departure lounges, the immigration and customs area, and waiting rooms; while new luggage carts were acquired and both the panoramic glass elevators and those for wheelchairs were repaired, according to Iran Cueto Carmona, general coordinator of José Martí International Airport.

Other investments included new wall covering for the facade of the final waiting room, to upgrade its environment and control brightness inside the airport.
Cueto added that electrical outlets were installed in all areas of Terminal-3, allowing passengers to charge mobile phones and other devices; the roof waterproofing process was completed to eliminate leaks in certain areas of the Terminal, and similar repair work was completed at Terminal-2.

Baggage conveyor belts were also repaired, and work is being done on the installation of a fifth baggage conveyor, to reduce delays for arriving passengers at baggage claims.

Cueto also reported that significant growth in arrivals of passengers and aircraft was noted in 2019 (approximately15 percent), which contributed to congestion for passengers and delays in the provision of services.

Although some negative elements continue to affect the quality of services provided, work is being done to find solutions, including the repair of all sanitary services in the Terminal-3 and, in future plans, upgrading of VIP lounges.

Actions to be undertaken in 2020 include further repairs of airport infrastructure, floor maintenance and lighting on footbridges.

NEW SERVICES IN THE TERMINALS
The construction of seven new currency exchanges (CADECA) in Terminal-3’s area B has recently been completed, to facilitate this service for passengers, especially during peak periods of congestion, while a special currency exchange for commercial entities operating in the terminal has also been added, said Liset Urgellés Carreras, head of Terminal 3.
This task was required to comply with Resolution 276/2019 from the Central Bank of Cuba which stipulated that U.S. dollars and other foreign currencies are only accepted in CADECAS located in the boarding area, after passengers have been checked in the emigration and customs area.

By March 12, automated check-in kiosks will be in operation. This new technology allows passengers to complete the process themselves with the device, including choosing their own seat, thus helping eliminate congestion at check-in counters, Urgellés Carreras reported.

Such kiosks have been available in the Terminal for American Airlines customers only, but now all passengers flying on airlines that have contracts with Cuban Airport and Aeronautical Services S.A. (ECASA), will have access to this system, which will also be installed in other airports nationwide, as well as José Martí International Airport’s Terminal 2.

FOOD SERVICES
Despite the impact of the economic, commercial and financial U.S. blockade of Cuba and the implementation of new unilateral coercive sanctions, the Cuba Catering S.A. enterprise intends to continue developing its commercial strategy by introducing new gastronomic service concepts in airports with its own brands, in order to raise the quality of food services and enhance elements of national identity.

Along these lines, the final waiting room in Terminal 3 now has new higher quality spaces that are expected to meet customers’ expectations and increase satisfaction.

A specialized bar, a convenience store, a gourmet cafe, a fast-food cafeteria and a specialized restaurant, operated by Cuba Catering S.A., are among the new options, to be extended across the country, said Raúl Báez Fernández, general director of Cuba Catering S.A.

“As a pilot project launched just a month ago, various adjustments to the menu, the type of product and sales are still being made, so such concepts, once adjusted, will be implemented in all airports nationwide. This is the aspiration of the state enterprise Cuba Catering S.A., which continues striving to improve service quality,” Báez Fernández stated.

Also opened recently is a CheckMark corner store, the self-service format allows customers to select an item, pay directly at the cash register, and, if they prefer, consume it on site.

Similarly, cafeteria service was diversified by establishing three new facilities that complement the Qbar already in place. Thus, passengers in the final waiting room can enjoy varied gastronomic options to serve different types of consumers.

With this premise, Black Café is presenting a menu of 20 coffee-based beverages available to customers, served with Cuba Catering S.A. prepared sweets and imported items. Plus, a fast-food cafeteria was established, offering pizzas and hamburgers, as well as table service.

Considering passengers’ complaints regarding the absence of prepared-to-order hot food, the 24/7 Paraíso Criollo restaurant was opened, offering traditional Cuban meals, for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

With all these new offers, total capacity within the same area was increased to 112 seats, where 77 existed previously, Báez Fernández stated, stressing that the remodeling work was conducted in only a month and a half, without disrupting services the airport provides.

Likewise, he stressed that sales per passengers increased 7% and those of prepared products rose by 8%. Thus, despite a reduction in the number of passengers during this period, as compared to the previous year, gross sales increased.

Prevailing throughout the investment project was the national vision of promoting productive and commercial links with other economic actors, based on Cuban policies to increase hard currency revenue, in these times of economic and financial blockade, while increasing quality and contributing to everyone’s economy.

(Source: Granma)

Raúl Díaz Guadarrama, general director of the entity affiliated with the Ministry of Transportation, told Granma that, over the last three years, financial and material resources have been made available to restore the highway.

“So far the critical problems are located on stretches in Cienfuegos and Mayabeque, where, through the first part of the year, there were occasional interruptions in the work due to a shortage of asphalt, however, the time lost has been recuperated,” the director stated.

Among maintenance and investment projects on the country’s network of roads and highways, prioritized are those that guarantee the tourist development, followed by others such as the Mariel Special Development Zone, the National Highway, the Central Highway, and Vía Blanca.

Toward this end, among the center’s main objectives for 2020 is to increase the amount of asphalt destined for the Central Highway, focusing on critical sections that pose a risk of accidents.

Another major difficulty involves determinng responsibility for road and street repair.

In this sense, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez has insisted that the repair of municipal roads must be assumed by each territory and alternative solutions for local development must be sought due to limitations on the availability of equipment.Díaz Guadarrama pointed out that there are 5,862 bridges in the country, with 304 in poor condition, of which 100 are scheduled for repair. Efforts will depend on the availability of equipment and specialized work crews, he said. According to the Director of the National Road Center, airport runways are the first priority in allocating asphalt, basically the José Martí in Havana and Abel Santamaría in Villa Clara.

(Granma)

In turn, efforts are ongoing to improve the quality of medical care, teaching, and research.

Speaking to Granma International, Dr. Antonio Raunel Hernández Rodríguez, director of the hospital, explained the results of the repair works completed thus far, the new services provided by the center, and the updating of teaching processes.

“What has been done is very important from a constructive point of view. The wards, operating rooms, emergency and service areas have been repaired,” Dr. Hernández states.

The renovation and refurbishment works also include a fully equipped rest area for doctors on call. Comfortable rooms, hot and cold water, air conditioning, and improved food services mean the hospital’s doctors enjoy better conditions during their long working hours.

Although progress has been made, one ward is still being repaired, and external consultation areas and the rehabilitation area are undergoing repair works.

THE SERVICE IN GREATEST DEMAND

The Fructuoso Rodríguez Hospital is located in Havana’s Plaza de la Revolución municipality, with the largest aging population in the country.

Many patients arrive at the health center with fractured hips, not only from this municipality but also from others. Today, this is the service in greatest demand.

“Last year the hospital assumed 42% of hip fracture surgeries in the capital and 19% of the country’s total. In the first quarter of this year 2017, 235 fractures have been operated, and 92% of these within 24 hours,” explains Antonio Hernández.

Orthogeriatrics requires, in most cases, special care, professional and technical know-how, in line with the patient’s clinical history.

“The elderly people we receive, in addition to the hip complaint, have medical conditions linked to their age relating to the heart, lungs, kidneys, among others, which complicate treatment and surgery,” Hernández explains.

OTHER SERVICES

The hospital provides ten other medical services addressing different anatomical regions of the human body, including upper and lower limbs. Endoprosthetic and spinal surgery is performed, both on adults and children.

Among related specialties are rehabilitation services, particularly effective in the treatment of orthopedic conditions. The hospital also has a clinical laboratory, specialized in microbiology, and complementary studies for inpatients and outpatients.

Other facilities include a blood bank and a psychology department, which helps support patients facing traumatic operations and injuries, Hernández Rodríguez explains.

Imaging equipment, including CT and digital X-ray machines, have also been installed. The latter has represented savings for the hospital, in terms of x-ray film. Dr. Hernández adds that, in the coming months, nuclear magnetic resonance imaging equipment will be incorporated.

The Havana Hospital also treats patients from different parts of the world, mainly Venezuelans, as part of the Cuba-Venezuela Health Program, although patients from Mexico, Argentina, and other Latin American countries have also benefited from its services.

TEACHING WORK

In addition to specializing in Orthopedics, the hospital stands out as a teaching center. At the moment, there are 37 residents, of whom seven are of other nationalities (Venezuelan, Colombian, Mexican and Chinese), whose studies in Cuba are either self-financed or funded through governmental agreements.

“We have a pyramid of teaching staff, with associate professors, teaching assistants, and instructors, as well as a consulting professor. They are doctors of different specialties related to orthopedics and traumatology,” the hospital director notes.

Orthopedics is studied for a period of four years. The learning process, states Antonio Hernández, is based on spiraled practice, to gradually increase residents’ surgical operations and the clinical complexities treated.

An end of year examination is conducted, and at the end of the degree course students take a pre-state and a state exam.

FOR QUALITY HEALTH CARE

Dr. Antonio Hernández Rodríguez affirms that there is no good care without good teaching, and vice versa. This link, he adds, is very important to ensure the quality of the health care provided.

“When teaching is linked to research, the student or resident of the specialty must also prove their knowledge from the point of view of investigation,” explains Dr. Hernández.

To graduate, students present a thesis related to the specialty, but based on the work of the institution. Thus, medical care is also evaluated and the work contributes to hospital development to provide better care to patients.

Remodeling and repair works at the hospital began about five years ago. The cost has surpassed 12 million pesos, demonstrating the commitment of the Cuban state and the Ministry of Public Health to preserve the comfort of the institution, and guarantee conditions for its workers, as well as quality medical care for everyone who requires it.

(Granma)