EDUMECENTRO 2022;14:e2214

The legacy of Fidel Castro as a premise and strength to face COVID-19

Xiomara Martínez Neira^1* https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1139-1249
Elizabeth Leal García² https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2833-0573
Cándida Orizondo Crespo² https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4092-4489

¹ Villa Clara University of Medical Sciences. School of Medicine. Villa Clara. Cuba.
² Villa Clara University of Medical Sciences. Faculty of Stomatology. Villa Clara. Cuba.

* Author for correspondence. Email: xiomaramn@infomed.sld.cu

ABSTRACT

Fidel Castro Ruz is one of the greatest personalities of the 20th and 21st centuries, a man of national and international dimension due to the depth of his thought and humanitarian work. In Cuba, it constitutes a mandatory reference in the health, science and medical education branch, as well as in the struggle against COVID-19. The challenge of the Cuban people against the pandemic, from March 2020 to the current time, has as its premise in the legacy of Fidel. The purpose of the article is to assess Fidel´s thought as a premise and strength to faceg the pandemic in Cuba.

MeSH: coronavirus infections; ethics, professional; principle-based ethics; education, medical.

RESUMEN

Fidel Castro Ruz es una de las grandes personalidades de los siglos XX y XXI, hombre de dimensión nacional e internacional por la profundidad de su pensamiento y obra humanitaria. En Cuba constituye un referente obligatorio en el sector de la salud, la ciencia y la educación médica, así como en la batalla contra la COVID-19. El desafío del pueblo cubano contra la pandemia, desde marzo de 2020 hasta la actualidad, tiene como premisa el legado de Fidel. El artículo tiene como propósito valorar el pensamiento fidelista como premisa y fortaleza para el enfrentamiento a la pandemia en Cuba.

DeSC: infecciones por coronavirus; ética profesional; ética basada en principios; educación médica.

Submitted: 29/12/2021
Accepted: 08/10/2022

On what foundations is the confrontation with the COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba based on? The thought and work of Fidel Castro, no doubts, it became a premise and strength in this great battle against COVID-19 that humanity still sustains. Those presented below constitute part of Fidel´s legacy and should be socialized because they undoubtedly distinguish the attitude of the Cuban people in the face of this contingency and, in a special way, health professionals. They are development strategies initiated since 1959 under his leadership, particularly in health and science, together with an adequate conception of integrated work with all sectors of society:

• The designed health system: "... with a view to the future, the only, the true, the definitive solution is the massive training of doctors. And today the Revolution has strength, it has res ources, it has organization and it has men-! men!, which is the most important thing - to start a training plan for doctors in the quantities that are necessary. And not only many, but above all, good ones; and not only good as doctors, but good as men and women, as patriots and as revolutionaries!"⁽¹⁾ Made up of specialists from different specialties and branches, and a television space created to inform the people daily about the incidence of the pandemic on the health of the population.
• The development of science: it promoted, also with a vision to the future, since 1980 the creation of high-level scientific centers for its pharmaceutical and diagnostic products. Biotechnology was an advanced research strategy with its strict observance. One of its products, Recombinant Human Interferon Alpha 2b as a therapeutic drug, began production in China in 2003 based on the common interest of both countries. This product had previous use in the epidemiological situation that began there and then spread throughout the world.⁽²⁾
• Biomodulin T, another effective Cuban drug against COVID-19 used in the treatment of recurrent respiratory infections in the elderly since the 1990s. One of the most promising experiences is its use in patients hospitalized in Home No.3, from Santa Clara, where an unfortunate incident of local transmission of the new coronavirus occurred.
• In 1992, the Cuban leader stated: "We are working with monoclonal antibodies, also developing them rapidly, and these can be used for diagnostic purposes, or they can also be used for therapeutic purposes. Itolizumab Monoclonal Antibody demonstrated its efficacy against COVID-19. It was used in more than 80 patients from different hospitals in the country and the main research center was the "Manuel Piti Fajardo" army hospital in Santa Clara, where its doctors and specialists made important contributions regarding the best time to use this monoclonal medicine. In a new treatment scheme.⁽³⁾
• The development of vaccine programs was another of Fidel's concerns, to which he contributed by stimulating research to develop Cuban vaccines. Cuba achieved four vaccines in record time to immunize the population against the aforementioned pandemic.
• Solidarity and medical collaboration conceived by Fidel: the example of health personnel in while facing the pandemic responds to the principles set forth by him for medical practice in disadvantaged and vulnerable nations. A transcendental example was the constitution of the International Contingent of Doctors Specialized in Disaster Situations and Serious Epidemics in 2005. The pandemic demonstrated the essence of this Contingent that until today has no precedent in the world: in May 2020, 25 brigades were already working that contributed to saving lives in different parts of the planet. The existing ones in 16 countries were reinforced at the request of their governments and 7 new ones were created, two of them for the first time in Europe (Spain and Italy). The request for Nursing professionals increased and the first brigade was formed, made up 100% of women who provided their services in Barbados.⁽⁵⁾
• Culture to prevent. Culture, according to Fidel, is the first thing we must save. It was a way to transmit spirituality and at this stage there were many initiatives that were developed from cultural institutions, artists and the community. During this stage, the Cuban media have given wide coverage to this social phenomenon and constitute a valuable source for its dissemination, promotion and prevention.
• Unity as a bastion. The political and mass organizations created under the leadership of Fidel made possible the development of the projects of the Revolution. In the confrontation and prevention against COVID-19, the direction of the work of the Temporary Group created for this purpose had the highest leadership of the Party in each of the instances. The Union of Young Communists led the mobilization and organization of activities and tasks of young people in confronting the pandemic. It was also important the creation of contingents of volunteers for the isolation centers and activists of the Family Food Services. The students of the Student Federation of Secondary Education who study in the universities of medical sciences were incorporated with those of higher level careers in research; In the other schools of this educational level, they guaranteed social distancing, food production, care for the elderly, etc. The Federation of Cuban Women and the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, due to their massive membership, played a great role in the community. Women stood out in the elaboration of facemasks for the population. The Cuban workers union controlled compliance with wage protection and job security measures for all its members.
• The Ministry of Transportation readjusted its state commitment with the aim of focusing its services on actions to face COVID-19, while the Ministries of Agriculture, Education and Higher Education adapted and/or readjusted their functions to , from new scenarios, meet the priorities of the greatest crisis stage of the pandemic: guarantee food production, maintain distance and blended education, and provide isolation centers, teachers and workers to care for suspects or patients in rest centers.⁽⁵⁾
• The Ministry of the Interior faced the behaviors that violated the measures decreed by the health authorities a priority; the Revolutionary Armed Forces, faithful to its history and the tradition of the medical services of this institution, assumed the task of making military hospitals available to face the pandemic. The one in Santa Clara was one of the first to receive positive patients. Among his achievements is having saved the patient with the longest stay and complications in Cuba.

The authors consider that on these bases the action model of the country's leadership, health professionals and the people in general was structured to face the aforementioned pandemic.

BIBLIOGRPHIC REFERENCES

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2. Puig Meneses Y. Los resultados de la ciencia cubana nos enaltecen. [Internet]. Granma. 29 de mayo del 2020; p.4. Disponible en: https://www.granma.cu/cuba-COVID-19/2020-05-29/los-resultados-de-la-ciencia-cubana-nos-enaltecen-29-05-2020-00-05-13

3. Peláez O. Anticuerpo monoclonal Itolizumab hace su aporte contra la COVID-19. [Internet]. Granma. 12 de mayo del 2020; p.5. Disponible en: https://www.granma.cu/cuba-COVID-19/2020-05-11/anticuerpo-monoclonal-itolizumab-hace-su-aporte-contra-la-COVID-19-11-05 -2020-23-05-55

4. Ministerio de Salud Pública. Brigadas Henry Reeve, "siempre velando por el objetivo fundamental: salvar vidas". [internet]. La Habana: Minsap; 2020. Disponible en: https://salud.msp.gob.cu/brigadas-henry-reeve-siempre-velando-por-el-objetivo-fundamental-salvar-vidas/

5. Febles Hernández M. Activa presencia juvenil en programas prioritarios frente a la COVID-19. [Internet]. Granma. 5de junio del 2020; p.5. Disponible en: https://www.granma.cu/cuba-COVID-19/2020-05-26/activa-presencia-juvenil-en-programas-prioritarios-frente-a-la-COVID-19-26-05-2020-00-05-33

Declaration of interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author´s contribution

The three authors carried out the searches on the subject, analyzed them and wrote the final report.