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Science Doctor Irinia Valdivia Alvarez feels like being home any time she arrives at work, the Immune Test Center (CIE) seeing familiar faces, pretty loved people who are indispensable in her life. “I love this place,” she said without hesitation.
She started working in this institution in 1988; when she graduated in Micro-Biology specialty, and since then up to now, she has seen the dream inaugurated by Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz on September 7, 1987 come true.
She is the deputy director of the Chemistry Immunity group; one of the five deputy directions from CIE, this specialist feels proud to belong to this center that at present is paradigm of the Cuban science.
“Our area is particularly devoted to the development and production of diagnosis sets of relatives for the analysis of different illnesses, pathologies and infections by means of the SUMA technology (an ultra analytic system), which is 100 percent Cuban and is the distinctive mark of the institution.
She also noted there are 33 products of this kind for the research of 19 pathologies. “Last year, we carried out about 45, 000, 000 tests for diagnosis. “Every set fits for 288 tests although there are several formats,” she explained.
“The products fabricated in CIE support the main health programs carried out in Cuba. Among them there is the mother-child, blood certification, epidemiological surveillance, cancer and no transmissible severe illnesses controls,” she explained.
Doctor Valdivia pointed out that by the Mother-Child Assistance Program there are important investigations, like the detention of faults in the neural tube in pre-natal period and the diagnosis of five inherited metabolic diseases in the newborn baby.
Many of these products from CIE are exported and have contributed to the development and perfection of the health programs in different countries, and at the same time they are incomes to the national economy.
With the passion of a creator
Tulio Horta Agramonte, secretary of the CIE’s Union, has the pleasure to be one of the founders of this institution in the scientific facilities from Havana which has more than 25 years of experience.
This technician-investigator-producer remembers it was the Science Doctor in Medicine Jose Luis Fernandez Yero who invented the technology able to make the pre-natal diagnosis of congenital mal formations, with no risk for the mother.
“In a meeting with Fidel Castro, Doctor Yero showed him photos of children born with different types of mal formations and the Commander in Chief told him very moved: “If we were able just to avoid only one of these cases, it would be worth any effort we make.”
Since then on, SUMA was consolidating as years were passing by and its example has contributed with flying colors to the steady achievements in the Cuban health. “That dream came true every time, and right now we are one of the most efficient entities of the Enterprise Direction Superior Organization (OSDE), Biocubafarma, with first line economic results, Tulio said. He will represent his staff in the final sessions of the 20th Congress of the Cuban Workers Federation (CTC).
He stressed the institution has its own technology, “that allowed us to compete with great transnational companies and export our products to Latin America and other regions worldwide.
“We are researchers, developers, producers and traders, besides giving post sale service,” he added.
While talking about the Congress of the CTC, he said it will be an opportunity to show the experience of his entity, an example of socialist enterprise.
Every body’s family
Tulio Horta and Irinia Valdivia coincide to assert that there is a great family in CIE. They feel proud to belong to a staff where the sense of loyalty to the Revolution prevails.
Tulio has been the leader of this union for two decades. Leading more than 300 intelligent men and women has been a challenge and a commitment for Tulio.
Doctor Valdivia is reluctant to abandon research, and she is linked to a developing project when she was part of the group of infectious diseases. “It is a diagnosis to detect the NS1 protein of dengue virus, which will allow us an earlier prescription of the infection.
CIE’s developing and production activities converge in the same specialists, which have a lot of advantages according to Dr. Valdivia, despite its greater effort and the multifaceted ability of the professionals. “It is good to develop a product and at the same time be the producer, because from the creative process itself, you are thinking about the advantages or productive facilities you should pervade to make it more efficient in its climb to production.
She has always been captivated by this staff, first of all for its sense of belonging that currently prevails. We are already a little older so we have the mission to pervade the new generation with this sense of belonging to this institution and what we do, a beautiful work, and it is in a way, to reciprocate society and the Revolution,” she said.
Acerca del autor
Graduada en Licenciatura en Periodismo en la Facultad de Filología, en la Universidad de La Habana en 1984. Edita la separata EconoMía y aborda además temas relacionados con la sociedad. Ha realizado Diplomados y Postgrados en el Instituto Internacional de Periodismo José Martí. En su blog Nieves.cu trata con regularidad asuntos vinculados a la familia y el medio ambiente.
