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By María Josefina Arce
 
In the recovery work being carried out in western Cuba, after the severe damage caused by Hurricane Ian, great efforts have been made in health infrastructure to guarantee services to the population.

The meteorological phenomenon affected numerous facilities, especially the doctor's and nurse's offices in the community, an essential link in the attention to the inhabitants of each area.

Let's not forget that these clinics provide care for pregnant women, children and people with diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, among others. In addition, these facilities are the scene of vaccination campaigns that have been carried out in Cuba since the 1960s to prevent diseases such as polio.

Therefore, from the very first moment, in order not to leave without attention those who require it, a strategy was drawn up that includes the reorganization and relocation of services to other premises, the reinforcement of medical attention in the places where it is necessary and its assurance in the centers where evacuated people remain.

The epidemiological situation is also being closely monitored, as it is well known that the passage of meteorological phenomena such as Ian can trigger various diseases.

The number of cases has been decreasing notably in the last few weeks and is currently very low, while no serious or critical patients have been reported.

This shows the effectiveness of the protocols implemented in the national territory to face the disease and the efficacy of the vaccines created by our scientific community.

Close surveillance of the dengue situation is also part of the health authorities' strategy. 

The proliferation of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, the transmitter of this disease, must be prevented, for which purpose there is a constant check-up in the communities and dialogue with their inhabitants.

And parallel to all these actions, teams from the Ministry of Public Health have not stopped supporting the recovery work of the sanitary facilities, while providing special support to its personnel affected by Hurricane Ian.

The recovery work in Pinar del Río and surrounding areas is extensive and not only covers housing, electricity and telephone networks, but extends to all sectors to guarantee essential rights such as the health of every citizen, a priority of the Cuban authorities.