The Vladimir Ilich Lenin Teaching General Hospital is one of the more than 30 health institutions in Cuba that, starting in 2017, benefited from donations of medical equipment by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, better known as JICA.
For this reason, Yuki Asaka, representative of that agency, whose office is located in Havana, recently visited the hospital institution to verify the use of the donated equipment, essentially for the Pathological Anatomy, Oncology and Imaging services.
In that sense, the Head of the Department of Pathological Anatomy of the hospital giant, Dr. Jenny Patiño Pérez, expressed that “the objective of the visit was essentially to see how the donated equipment was, its technical condition, as well as the service provided by our laboratory. Today it is one of those that has complete equipment, although some have suffered damage or breakage due to continuous use for nearly eight years. For example, the Cryostat has a damaged condenser and we let them know to see if they can supply the parts.”
Japan’s cooperation with the Lenin Hospital was both technical and material, through a series of equipment that has been used to the maximum in order to positively impact the health status of the population, to provide better conditions and medical treatment.
The Department of Pathological Anatomy, as part of this donation, also has six binocular microscopes, an immunoflorescence microscope and a triocular microscope, coupled with a photographic camera; but the latter is damaged, which is why “we brought it to the attention of you and our electromedicine colleagues. We also received a freezer, a Microtome, of which the disposable blades were sold out, although we have tried to use them as much as possible thanks to the inventiveness, professional and human quality of our graduates, but in reality, we need replacement or renew the blades,” Patiño Pérez further stated.
Currently there are Maria baths; analytical balances; a cytocentrifuge, to which innovations were made to use it with other test tubes and continue with the processing of liquids; an automatic tissue processor, a paraffin dispenser and photographic cameras. All this equipment increases the quality of service because the processing of the samples is carried out under better conditions.
In particular, the specialist states that “the Pentahead microscope, which is in good condition, has been very valuable for teaching, since it allows in better conditions to carry out exams and discuss interesting slides, without a doubt a valuable acquisition donated by the Japanese people,” she concluded.
Annually the Pathological Anatomy Laboratory processes a high level of samples, which although the number of biopsies processed has decreased compared to previous years due to the reduction in surgical activity, since its foundation it has not stopped its work.
Likewise, the visitor toured the Radiology Department. He confirmed the technical status of the Tomograph and the high-tech digital Mammography. The latter arrived in 2019 at the Territorial Oncology Center, located in the institution itself, as a result of that collaboration. This makes possible the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of a location with a high incidence such as breast cancer, offering the opportunity to study about a dozen cases daily.
As part of the Japanese donation, several computers were also received, located in the X-ray area, which has allowed the vitality of the equipment to be maintained and allows medical personnel to view the imaging study from their mobile phones.
For clinical specialties, this donation meant having better quality and sharpness of the image and greater access by the specialists who use them for greater diagnostic precision.
During the recent visit, a donation of batteries and other devices was made to support the employment and continuity of the donated equipment.
In the territory of Holguin, the provincial hospitals Lucía Iñiguez Landín and Pediatric Octavio de la Concepción de la Pedraja also benefited from medical equipment donated by JICA.
By: Maylín Betancourt Verdecia/ Translated by Radio Angulo
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