LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The training of human resources in health, a priority for continuity and development

La formación de recursos humanos en salud, prioridad para la continuidad y el desarrollo

Guillermo Alejandro Herrera Horta 1*, http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3573-2397

Zurelys Gutiérrez García 1, http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0549-4359

1 Pinar del Rio University of Medical Sciences, Pinar del Río, Cuba.

* Corresponding author: guillermoalejandroherreahorta@gmail.com

Received: 15/04/2024

Accepted: 30/04/2024

How to cite this article: Herrera Horta GA, Gutiérrez García Z. The training of human resources in health, a priority for continuity and development. Med. Es. [Internet]. 2024 [cited access date]; 4(2):e232. Available in:  https://revmedest.sld.cu/index.php/medest/article/view/232

Dear Director:

The educational model in health sciences is the result of the link between the health model and the higher education model that have been developed in the historical conditions of Cuba and is based on its principles and foundations.

The trends in the human resources training process since the beginning of the last century have undergone changes in accordance with the needs imposed by scientific and technical development, information technologies and globalization that encompasses all spheres of development worldwide.

In all the universities and faculties of medical sciences in the country, undergraduate and graduate professionals are trained. Undergraduate training of doctors, stomatologists, graduates in nursing and health technologies; and in postgraduate studies of specialists, master's degrees and doctors in science, as well as professional improvement.

The training of Cuban medical science professionals is in accordance with what was stated by Commander in Chief Fidel Castro: “Human Capital implies not only knowledge, but also and especially conscience, ethics, solidarity, truly revolutionary feelings, spirit of sacrifice, heroism and the ability to do a lot with a little.” ⁽¹⁾

Student assistants are university students who assume the double mission of training as professionals and teaching their classmates. This constitutes one of the main transformations of university education since the beginning of the Revolution. ⁽²⁾

Medical Education as a subsystem of the National Health System (SNS) has the talent and willingness of the students who make up the “Frank País García” Student Helper Movement, as a pool of future scientists, teachers and researchers, which allows the development of with them in a differentiated way - and with the rest of the students - actions to guarantee the continuity of the SNS in the short, medium and long term.

In the country, great efforts and resources are dedicated to the development and continuity of the SNS, guided by the principles of free, accessibility, universality, regionalization and comprehensiveness, reaching all Cuban citizens and also with an internationalist conception.

The authors consider that to achieve these objectives, quality training, education and teaching are necessary, which is why it is urgent to do different things, according to the current context, which includes the development of vocational training actions to achieve entry plans comprehensively and motivation for careers in medical sciences.

In this sense, it is necessary to treat high-performing students differently from those with average or normal performance, as well as achieving the retention of residents in training and having a strategy for developing research in health systems and services according to demands.

It is also essential to maintain expectations in healthcare services, based on quality in teaching, care and research, and achieve unity between the academic committees of the specialties, their provincial groups and the provincial chapters of scientific societies. . In this way, the training of human resources in health is consolidated as a priority for the continuity and development of the SNS in Cuba.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

1-   Castro Ruz F. (2005). Discurso en la Primera Graduación de la Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina (ELAM), el 20 de agosto de 2005. Granma (La Habana). Available in: http://www.fidelcastro.cu/es/discursos/discurso-pronunciado-en-el-acto-de-la-primera-graduacion-de-la-escuela-latinoamericana-de

2-   ABC de la FEU. Consejo Nacional de la FEU. 2018. Available in:  https://instituciones.sld.cu/fcmmayabeque/files/2021/04/ABC-DE-LA-FEU.pdf

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

GAHH: Conceptualization, research, methodology, project administration, validation, original draft writing, review, editing.

ZGG: Conceptualization, research, methodology, validation, writing of the original draft, review.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

SOURCES OF FUNDING

The authors declare that they did not receive funding for the development of this research.