By María Inés ÁlvarezGaray (*)
Cuban health professionals continue to wage battles against death in The Gambia, this grateful land of West Africa.
Cuba lives in its history, and on these dates like April 19th, it recalls the first great defeat of Yankee imperialism on Cuban soil and in Latin America, when the people came out to defend the Revolution, the homeland and sovereignty against Girónmercenaryinvasion, made up of 1,500 men equipped, trained and financed by the United States government.
Today we Cubans continue to overthrow death and sow life, this time with the weapons of decorum, solidarity and humanism, which we inherited from the leaders and masterminds of a Revolution that has no turning back, and which came to be the engine that allows us to tread paths and collect triumphs.
At the Edward Francis National Teaching Hospital in Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, the general surgeon Dr. Ahmed Gutiérrez works with much love, responsibility and wisdom.
He recently treated a 19-year-old patient who sufferedftom a traffic accident 6 months ago.
With exploratory surgery without findings, according to the clinical history he brought, 1 month ago he began to notice an increase in volume in his abdomen, and pain after eating.
A large firm tumor was observed in the upper hemiabdomen, refractory, non-movable, painful on palpation, and well defined.
Laboratory and imaging tests were indicated, which diagnosed a pseudocyst of the pancreas vs. a giant mesenteric cyst.
An exploratory laparotomy was decided, finding a large retrogastric pancreatic pseudocyst, extracting 1900 ml of dark sallow liquid: a cysto-gastrostomy was performed, with a satisfactory postoperative evolution of the young man.
A few days ago, he was discharged, the operation was a complete success, and he will continue to receive follow-up consultations until his full recovery.
Well done, Dr. Ahmed, every day is a battlefield against disease and suffering, and every minute is a life saved.
Thank you very much for your professionalism and your great passion for the beautiful profession that you chose and that you exercise with your heart.
(*) Professor and collaborator of the Cuban Medical Brigade in The Gambia
"An Island on a Continent" 