The Calixto García Clinical-Surgical Teaching Hospital in Havana has revitalized its neurosurgery service, leading to the creation of the Western Cuba Neurotrauma Center. This initiative, born from the reorganization of neurosurgeons in the capital, strengthens the hospital’s role as a cornerstone of Cuban neuroscience.
Iliovanys Bentancourt Plaza, the hospital’s General Director, told Tribuna de La Habana newspaper that the new neurosurgical center—operational in less than 72 days—features three high-tech operating rooms equipped with advanced microscopes and endoscopic towers for minimally invasive surgery, along with two hospitalization wards.
Its strategic design places intensive and intermediate care units on adjacent floors, minimizing transfer risks. “Patients receive all benefits in one space,” she explained, highlighting the Ministry of Public Health’s (MINSAP, for its Spanish acronym) efforts to fund the project despite global economic constraints.
“We’ve successfully revitalized a neurosurgical center to care for patients needing specialized services. We have one ward with 15 beds and another with 20. Three surgical rooms are available for neurosurgical patients, all equipped with advanced microscopes, anesthesia machines, and ventilators,” she detailed.
Dr. Ahmed Rubier Ortega, a specialist from Miguel Enríquez Hospital and now director of the new center, emphasized its role as a national reference point for complex polytrauma cases in western Cuba. “We’ve centralized all neurosurgical care—including craniospinal trauma, tumors, and herniated discs—on one floor, supported by an advanced imaging department,” he noted.
Raquel Olivera Hernández, Deputy Director of Logistics, praised the collective effort behind the achievement. “This is an act of resilience and optimal resource management. Our duty is to ensure every supply reaches where it’s needed,” she said. Each patient is accompanied by a trained caregiver to support home rehabilitation, while the new air-conditioned wards require strict adherence to health protocols.
