President Miguel Díaz-Canel urged on Thursday the promotion and acceleration of the necessary actions to guarantee a swift and sustainable recovery in the regions affected by the recent impact of Hurricane Melissa.
During a meeting of the National Defense Council, held in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba. He also urged increased popular participation in the recovery processes led by government authorities.
He commented that the support of the people is essential in circumstances where there are several crucial tasks. Including restoring homes, re-establishing basic services, and recovering agricultural areas.
Moreover he also reiterated that the arboviral epidemic must be confronted with the same scientific approach used to combat COVID-19. Through efficient sanitation operations, vector control, and primary care. Díaz-Canel also assured that the country’s institutions and organizations will continue to provide updates on the recovery process to return to normalcy in the eastern territories. The areas most affected by the hydrometeorological event.
With information from Prensa Latina
Prime Minister: “Alternative solutions” sought to guarantee basic services
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz confirmed at the National Defense Council the ongoing receipt and distribution of national and international donations. Aimed especially at vulnerable individuals, pregnant women, and underweight children. Provinces and municipalities have prioritized the delivery of food items such as rice, peas, and oil to the most affected communities.
Beyond material aid, “solidarity” was emphasized as an intrinsic value of the Cuban people. “We don’t offer what we have in excess, but rather we share what we have,” the Prime Minister stated. Acknowledging the crucial role of non-state organizations, businesses, and the general public.
Faced with the destruction of infrastructure, efforts have been made to find “alternative solutions” to guarantee basic services. The example cited was that bakeries, having lost their roofs, have continued operating in alternative locations.
Similarly, in the education sector, classrooms have been set up in community centers, meeting rooms, and private homes. So that children’s learning is not interrupted, with parents’ cooperation requested for their return to school.
Transportation is being gradually restored, with provincial rail services operating on some routes, although national service remains limited.
Futhermore the Prime Minister defended the importance of leaders’ visits to the affected areas, describing them as “necessary and essential” to be with the people. Listen to their concerns, and seek solutions on the ground.
“This is not a time for empty rhetoric… these are times for real action, for being there, alongside the people,” he emphasized. Advocating for transparency, optimism, and clear communication about what can be accomplished. The Deputy Minister of Public Health, Carilda Peña García, explained the complex epidemiological situation in the eastern provinces. Also where a dengue epidemic (with serotypes 3 and 4) and the more recent introduction of the Chikungunya virus are converging.
“This confluence, aggravated by the hurricane’s impact, has generated an arboviral epidemic. Chikungunya, a new disease in Cuba but known worldwide, is characterized by its severe symptoms. Including high fever and joint inflammation that can leave debilitating aftereffects. Transmission is so intense that in many homes, all residents have been affected,” the Deputy Minister stated.
Meanwhile the health strategy has been reinforced with: the activation of temporary working groups of scientific experts to monitor the behavior of the viruses and the vector. The strengthening of the treatment protocol, with special attention to vulnerable groups such as adults over 75 years of age, newborns, and people living alone; and an offensive against the vector. A massive adulticide fumigation campaign is underway using hundreds of machines. Aiming to reach all inhabited areas of the eastern provinces as quickly as possible. This is complemented by outdoor treatment.
Regarding the critical energy situation, a specific strategy was announced for the province of Santiago de Cuba: the provincial capital and the municipal capitals were to have power restored by November 14th. The current objective is to complete the restoration in the municipality of Santiago de Cuba within seven days and in the rest of the province’s municipalities by November 30th.
To this end, they have the support of contingents and brigades from other provinces such as Camagüey, Granma, Guantanamo, and Havana, demonstrating once again interprovincial solidarity.
The National Defense Council acknowledged that, despite the progress made, the road ahead is arduous. Some communities still lack basic services, there are evacuees, and large areas need to be rebuilt, especially those that suffered flooding.
The final message was a call for greater involvement from mass organizations and, above all, for local management and popular participation. Amid the devastation, the people are urged to think “not about what we lost, but about what we are capable of creating with our efforts,” honoring the legacy of the nation’s heroes with work and dignity.
With information from cubadebate.cu
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