-DATE-
19880723
-YEAR-
1988
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
INTERVIEW
-AUTHOR-
F.CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
CASTRO TALKS WITH HOSPITAL WORKERS
-PLACE-
SANTIAGO DE CUBA PROVINCE
-SOURCE-
HAVANA TELE-REBELDE
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19880725
-TEXT-
Talks With Hospital Workers

FL2307165888 Havana Tele-Rebelde Network in Spanish 1324 GMT 23 Jul 88

["Conversation" held between President Fidel Castro and unidentified
workers at the Orlando Pantoja Hospital in Contramaestre, Santiago de Cuba
Province, on 22 July--recorded]

[Text] [Speaker] Ninety percent of the hospital's equipment is from the
convertible currency area, from the [words indistinct] area.

[Castro] What do we have from Yugoslavia?

[Speaker] We have X-ray equipment from Yugoslavia.  We also have some
clinical laboratory equipment such as [words indistinct], dental equipment;
the Yugodent modules.  We have 11 dental chairs in the hospital.  They have
turned out to be pretty good.

[Castro] Especially the X-ray equipment, which is working well.

[Speaker] It works well.

[Castro] How many X-ray machines do you have?

[Speaker] We have two machines (?500,000) amperes, a regular one, another
one with tomography, and the other one of 800,000 amperes with a television
camera.

[Castro] The two of them are Yugoslav?

[Speaker] Yugoslav.  We have three portable ones.

[Castro] Are those Yugoslav?

[Speaker] No, those are Japanese.

[Castro] So the pediatric intensive care ward [words indistinct] requires
other types of equipment.  Well, but this hospital is one of the most
complete ones in the country.

[Second speaker] We have three goals; to open a pediatric surgery room, a
pain clinic, and a daycare psychiatric service.

[Castro] You do not have pediatric surgery services?

[Second speaker] No, but we are going to open one.

[Castro] How many surgery rooms do you have?

[Third speaker] Six surgery rooms, a cesarean section room...

[Castro, interrupting] Where is pediatric surgery performed now?

[Second speaker] It is being done in Palma Soriano and Santiago de
Cuba--only in those two places.

[Castro] And you want to open one here.

[Second speaker] We are going to open one here.

[Castro] Do you have a pediatric surgeon here?

[Second speaker] We have one ready.  We are organizing the surgical
instruments and the bed reassignments to open the service.

[Castro] How many did you say they gave you, 100?

[Second speaker] Ninety--60 for doctors, 30 for what we have called the
villa hotel for technicians who are here on a temporary basis,
professors...

[Castro, interrupting] How many doctors are already here?  Where are nurses
from Santiago living?

[Second speaker] At the villa hotel.  In a separate building.

[Castro] You have a villa for temporary people.

[Second speaker] Yes.

[Castro] Sixty apartments for doctors.

[Second speaker] For doctors and professionals.  Sixty-four to be exact.

[Castro] And where are nurses staying?  Somewhere else?  Are there other
places or are they in the same place?

[Second speaker] No.  All temporary technicians stay at the villa hotel.

[Third speaker] There are three buildings with 32 apartments--two buildings
for doctors and one which is considered a villa hotel.

[Castro] How many nurses from Santiago work here?

[Second speaker] There are 68 nurses who rotate on a temporary basis.

[Castro] How many do you have from Contramaestre?

[Second speaker] Ninety-two percent of the...

[Castro, interrupting] No, of nurses.

[Third speaker] One hundred and thirty six nurses.

[Castro] Are they from this area?  Where do they sleep?  Because they may
be from Contramaestre but they may be from the mountains of Contramaestre.

[Second speaker] They sleep here in...

[Third speaker, interrupting] There is a group which is not from the city.
They are from Los Pozos, from...

[Castro, interrupting] Do you have a figure?  Give me the numbers for
nurses who are from the city.

[Third speaker] Most of them are from the city.  Over 60 percent.

[Second speaker] We have the medical professors from the province rotating
here every month.  They are our best specialists.  They help the young ones
by offering their experiences.
-END-