Latin American Network Information Center - LANIC

-DATE-
19880408
-YEAR-
1988
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
REPORT
-AUTHOR-
F.CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
INAUGURATION - LENS CRAFT SHOP
-PLACE-
LA LISA
-SOURCE-
HAVANA TELEVISION SVC
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19880411
-TEXT-
Fidel Castro Inaugurates Lens Craft Shop

FL081620 Havana Television Service in Spanish 0000 GMT 8 Apr 88

[Text] In Havana today, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, first secretary of
the PCC and president of the Councils of State and Ministers, presided over
the inauguration of the lens craft shop in La Lisa, the Arroyo Naranjo
hemoderivates plant, and the 25th Avenue.

[Begin Castro Recording] Comrades:  Anyone could say we planned to
inaugurate these projects on international health day.  Nothing is further
from the truth.  It is a coincidence, a happy coincidence, of course.  We
had been thinking for days when to inaugurate them.  Talking with Comrade
Lezcano, we agreed to inaugurate it on a certain day.  I believe it was
said on Thursday and it so happened it was 7 April.  So it appears to be in
honor of international health day.  This is not rare because here all days
are health days.  This is the truth.

These are enormous services that the country can count on; this facility
with a new workshop and the one [Julio; minister of public health] Teja
mentioned that is being modernized in Las Villas.  It will meet all the
needs for eyeglasses and lenses in the country.  I believe that when one
thinks about all this one can appreciate the importance of this factory we
have inaugurated today.

The case is the same as regards hemoderivatives.  There are many illnesses
and treatments that require hemoderivative products.  They either have to
be imported or produced in the country.  They are very expensive.  Albumin
and specific gamma globulin or polyvalent, as they call it, and a number of
other products are used to treat many illnesses.  Teja mentioned some.

There is also a small research center at the hemoderivates plant.  They not
only produce but also conduct research.  I talked with several comrades
there who work with a lot of enthusiasm in the production of new products.
This hemoderivates plant can also produce millions of dollars.  We will be
able to export around 40 percent of the production when we reach the
capacity of 100,000 [not further specified] after broadly meeting our
needs.  In this way, we can save a few million dollars a year in order to
continue with this process because all this costs a lot.

We will have to work on this for some years if we really want to develop
ourselves, if we really want to make progress, if we want to solve
problems.  I am not saying it will be forever but now, as we have said
before, we have to recover lost time, more quickly, and show in fact a true
cult of work.  Definitely, a cult of work has to be shown. [applause] [end
recording]
-END-


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