Nurse Melba Rosa Turro Osorio enjoys the job satisfaction of contributing to the wellbeing of humanity, after helping to fight cholera in Haiti.
Having qualified in 1981 as a mid-level nurse, she continued her undergraduate studies in 1994, which she completed in 2000, specializing in medical emergencies, intensive care, and obstetrics and gynecology. She currently works at the Luis de la Puente Useda polyclinic in the Havana municipality of 10 de Octubre.
Her experiences outside of Cuba began in 2005, when an earthquake hit Pakistan. Melba formed part of the Henry Reeve Contingent specialized in dealing with natural disasters and large-scale epidemics, created by the leader of the Revolution Fidel Castro, which has provided services in 24 countries to date, she told Granma International.
“I was selected from a large group of professionals for my work in Cuba, I was asked several times regarding the real possibility of being separated from my children, who were still small, to provide medical assistance in faraway place, with difficult conditions.
“We left for Pakistan in December, a very long journey to Islamabad, the capital. Then we took a helicopter down the slopes of the Himalayas to reach the territory of Musaffarabad. Our main difficulties were the language and the harsh winter.
“Upon arrival, there were still corpses emerging. I saw the rescuers collecting debris and human remains. Several diseases broke out,” she explains.
Turro Osorio noted that the intense cold, with temperatures at ten degrees below zero, was a real challenge. They kept warm by covering themselves with newspaper and blankets.
Handling a large number of emergencies with deep wounds, fractures of the upper and lower limbs and attending amputation surgery, she emphasized that she has been unable to erase from her memory the fetid smell of the environment in the wake of the disaster.
Given these difficulties, how did the brigade respond?
A collective spirit of mutual support prevailed. On several occasions we received a call from the leader of the Revolution Fidel Castro, who injected us with a dose of encouragement to withstand the harsh conditions. I myself spoke to him personally.
Did you complete any further missions?
Yes, they selected me to work in Venezuela, I was located in the state of Anzoategui, in the municipality of Puerto La Cruz. I worked in an intensive care unit, caring mainly for traffic accident injuries, plus I covered the nursing position in the operating room.
With the Venezuelans I felt like I was working in my own country, I maintain a friendship with many of them. Some have visited me at home.
Tell me about the challenge of helping the Haitian people.
Haití was the victim of an earthquake in January 2010 and then a cholera epidemic broke out. I immediately asked to go to help the Haitians. I arrived in November 2010, I was placed in Artibonite, precisely where the epidemic was declared.
We positioned ourselves in tents, working alongside professionals belonging to the Doctors Without Borders organization, from Germany.
I remember attending to up to 100 patients during a single shift. Hospitals were installed in huge tents with 80 beds, but we sometimes had to hospitalize over capacities. We improvised in areas around the clinic, under the trees and with the sky for a roof.
Let’s talk about Sierra Leone.
I went to Sierra Leone to work in the Comprehensive Health Program. I had not been to Africa and wanted to confront new challenges. They told me it was a country with a very high infant mortality rate. Since I am an obstetrics-gynecologynurse, they placed me in a gynecological hospital 500 kilometers from the capital.
I saw women giving birth outside the hospital as they didn’t have enough money to pay for their delivery. Many pregnant women came to me with severe malnutrition, since none had received previous medical attention.
The work was difficult...There were up to 20 dialects spoken. I speak English, but they did not understand me, despite it being the national language.
How did you find out about the Ebola epidemic?
We came back to Cuba on vacation and returned to Sierra Leone on May 24, 2014. On arriving in the capital, the authorities of the brigade informed us of the existence of an unknown disease. We were told that it had appeared in Guinea-Conakry, but they also warned us about the possibility of cases within the country, and then the World Health Organization reported the first five deaths.
The head of the brigade got biohazard suits for everyone. He taught us to dress and undress ourselves. Our government was concerned with our health from the outset.
What measures did you take?
We complied with the instructed protective measures, firstly the use of the biohazard suit during our shifts. Wearing it, you sweat one liter of liquid in one hour at a temperature of some 40 degrees Celsius.
Outside the hospital we spent most of the time at home. We reduced the number of local domestic employees, and did not allow the entry of people from outside the house. We avoided greeting people with hands or kissing. We strictly adhered to the identified hygiene measures.
And your return to Cuba?
After it was decided that the female medical personnel would return home given the dangers of the Ebola epidemic, we had to remain in quarantine for over 20 days for observation. Then we received the recognition of the Cuban government and the population. They congratulated us and we participated in very emotional events.
We received the August 23 Medal, issued by the Federation of Cuban Women. Friends were surprised about my deeds but I feel that I was only doing my duty.
I feel I have achieved my dreams. I dreamed of being a goodwill ambassador, with the ability to help the world.
I was born in Caimanera, Guantánamo, in the illegal naval base. My father worked as service personnel, and my mother had 14 children. We lived with indescribable material shortages. In 1964 we moved to Havana. I decided to help people in need and thanks to the Revolution, I achieved my goals. I have two sons and a grandson aged three. I feel very happy.
