A detailed assessment of the Public Health services was carried out at the 7th Plenary Session of the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) in Las Tunas, chaired by the member of the Central Committee and its first secretary here, Manuel Pérez Gallego.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- When analyzing the situation of the sector, the main objective and subjective aspects that hinder patient care and disease prevention were pointed out, including the poor state of construction of the Mártires de Las Tunas, Dr. Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, and Dr. Guillermo Domínguez hospitals.

Mention was also made of the delay in the ambulance service, the lack of medicines and supplies that generate a long surgical waiting list, and the migration of doctors, nurses, and other professionals to better-paid activities.

Other problems are the prescription of medicines that are missing, the 78 medical offices where the doctor does not stay, the lack of sugar and other resources for the production of syrups, and the high incidence of teenage pregnancy, a phenomenon that is increasing about previous years.

Dr. Viviana Gutiérrez Rodríguez, director of Health, said that the sector is in a position to raise the quality of services and has a working system that allows it to be decisive. An example of this is the Maternal and Child Care Program, with a rate of 5.4 deaths per thousand live births.

She added that care is guaranteed during medical emergencies, progress is being made in the recovery of clinics with structural problems, for the benefit of several communities, and the training of human resources to sustain health care is maintained.

By the way, Pérez Gallego recognized the performance of professionals in the sector and recalled that Public Health has been one of the activities most affected by the US blockade against Cuba and despite this, no service has been closed.

The evaluation of the main economic indicators of the Las Tunas territory was another of the points of the Plenary, in which it was learned of the breaches of seven exportable lines; among them raw sugar, steel billets, tobacco, gold, and charcoal.

Besides, it was said that 22 local companies report losses and several of them pay without productive support, that there are numerous accounts receivable or payable, and that deficiencies in internal control and negligence persist in some areas of accounting and human resources.

Regarding the confrontation with abusive prices, it was explained that until June 20 more than 7,800 actions were carried out, with the imposition of 6,486 fines, mainly on sellers of light food, and industrial and agricultural products.

However, it was recognized that the measures have been ineffective and the rates for most products remain high since the price agreement committees have lacked rigor. The popular support in the neighborhoods has not been enough either.

At the end of the meeting, Pérez Gallego said that the Party should have a more leading role in monitoring, controlling, and demanding all aspects of local socio-economic development, with priority given to food production.

He also congratulated the residents of Las Tunas for the 70th anniversary of the assault on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Barracks and for their support, dedication, and ability to continue strengthening the revolutionary process in the province.