-DATE-
19910705
-YEAR-
1991
-DOCUMENT TYPE-
-AUTHOR-
-HEADLINE-
More on Ninth National Assembly Sessions
-PLACE-
CARIBBEAN / Cuba
-SOURCE-
Havana Tele Rebelde Network
-REPORT NO.-
FBIS-LAT-91-130
-REPORT DATE-
19910708
-HEADER-
*********************
Report Type:         Daily Report             AFS Number:     FL0507191591
Report Number:       FBIS-LAT-91-130          Report Date:    08 Jul 91
Report Series:       Daily Report             Start Page:     5
Report Division:     CARIBBEAN                End Page:       6
Report Subdivision:  Cuba                     AG File Flag:   
Classification:      UNCLASSIFIED             Language:       Spanish
Document Date:       05 Jul 91
Report Volume:       Monday Vol VI No 130

Dissemination:  

City/Source of Document:   Havana Tele Rebelde Network

Report Name:   Latin America

Headline:   More on Ninth National Assembly Sessions

Subheadline:   Castro, Health Official Meet

Author(s):   President Fidel Castro and Vice Minister of Public Health Hector
Terry Moliner during the morning session of the National Assembly
of the People's Government [ANPP] in the Palace of Conventions in
Havana, 5 July-recorded]

Source Line:   FL0507191591 Havana Tele Rebelde Network in Spanish 1700 GMT 5
Jul 91

Subslug:   [Report on comments by President Fidel Castro and Vice Minister of
Public Health Hector Terry Moliner during the morning session of the
National Assembly of the People's Government [ANPP] in the Palace of
Conventions in Havana, 5 July-recorded]

-TEXT-
FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE:
1.  [Report on comments by President Fidel Castro and Vice Minister of Public
Health Hector Terry Moliner during the morning session of the National Assembly
of the People's Government [ANPP] in the Palace of Conventions in Havana, 5
July-recorded]

2.  [Text] The concensus of the National Assembly of the People's Government
[ANPP] was a positive evaluation of the progress made by Sancti Spiritus
Province over the last few years in the sugar industry program and also in the
development of the Turquino Plan, although it recognized that the situation in
cattle breeding is not favorable with a high mortality rate and a lower rate of
milk and meat.

3.  There was repeated praise for the province's successes in advances in
health, which provided the opportunity for this exchange of opinions.

4.  [Begin recording] [Fidel Castro] On the matter of the life expectancy, I do
not know if there is any one here that knows what the parameters are when we
speak of life expectancy. It does not surprise me that Sancti Spiritus is a
little further advanced. Whatever the circumstances, it has been 22 months
since there was a case of a mother dying in childbirth. If infant mortality has
been 7.2 percent, with these facts and others, what more could we mention to
explain in contrast to a province where infant mortality had been 12 or 13
percent? The figure Nillo [not further identified] was talking about should be
the same as the national average. But, what has happened with the national
average? More than once I have talked about this.  What are the bases? The
international parameters? We have a number of things that no country out there
has.

5.  [Health Vice Minister Hector Terry Moliner] We can continue advancing, with
the resources we have of this system of primary health care, which no one else
has, through the family doctor program. We have to learn to work. We have to
say that we have not learned how to make it work. We have not learned how to
work with it yet.  We have to improve the work of the family doctors' system.
We are sure that, with the quality of life that our country has, with the diet
our country has, and with these possibilities, life expectancy will continue to
increase. But, furthermore, I believe that all of us, beginning with me, we
have to change our conduct and lifestyle. The habit of smoking is still very
widespread here in our country. We have a high percentage of doctors that still
smoke in this country. We were saying to the comrades in Sancti Spiritus that
despite all of their achievements, 34 percent of the doctors in that province
are smoking. We cannot be an example that way....

6.  [Castro, interrupting] 34 percent.

7.  [Terry Moliner] Yes, of medical personnel. Of nursing workers, 29 percent
are smoking. We cannot give an example to the people to change their conduct,
their lifestyle....

8.  [Castro, interrupting] Which province has the most doctors who smoke?

9.  [Terry Moliner] No, in general Commander, this is a national average, we
have a national average of 32 percent.

10.  [Castro] But, of the doctors?

11.  [Terry Moliner] In the institute, you do not to....

12.  [Castro, interrupting] Of the doctors?

13.  [Terry Moliner] Of the doctors.

14.  [Castro] And in your institute?

15.  [Terry Moliner] It is a scandal. It is 50 percent.

16.  [Castro laughs]

17.  [Terry Moliner] Really for me this is a disgrace. It is. [end recording]

-END-