Guantanamo.- Guantánamo Governor Alis Azahares recently urged the authorities responsible for sanitation, solid-waste collection, and pension payments to improve services across the province. She made the request during a meeting held at the headquarters of the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party.
During the high-level meeting with local directors, as well as administrative and political officials, Azahares reviewed the quality of drinking-water supplies in communities in the municipalities of Manuel Tames, San Antonio del Sur, and Maisí, where water networks have been affected for more than a week.
Lexis Suárez, provincial director of the Aqueduct and Sewerage Company, reported progress in areas such as El Corojo and Ciro Frías, while delays continue in El Maquey and Boquerón. The problems are mainly attributed to breakdowns in pipelines, valves, connections, and water pumps.
He also noted that six municipalities in Guantánamo have adequate supplies of sodium hypochlorite, enough to cover more than 20 days. This will help eliminate disease-causing microorganisms that may be present in the water supply.
The Governor also called on the mayor of the provincial capital and the municipal Communal Services Company to address the proliferation of illegal dumps and the inadequate pruning of trees and maintenance of gardens along the city’s main avenues. These conditions contribute to the spread of biological vectors and damage the city’s appearance.
In another important matter, Azahares proposed strengthening mechanisms to ensure the timely payment of pensions to retirees throughout the province. These payments could be facilitated through various non-state economic actors and neighborhood councils, in line with the government’s recently announced 176 economic and social transformations.
The municipality of Guantánamo is currently improving its Family Care System to provide better nutritional support to economically or socially vulnerable people, with special attention to older adults, people with disabilities, and citizens who lack the means to prepare their own meals or do not receive regular assistance from relatives.
Another issue discussed during the so-called Vitality Meeting was the performance of the province’s Maternal and Child Health Program. Rafael Wilson, director general of Public Health, identified the rise in high-risk pregnancies, the presence of chronic diseases among expectant mothers, and inadequate maternal nutrition as factors contributing to infant mortality.
These issues reflect the difficulties facing Guantánamo, but they also demonstrate the authorities’ political commitment to addressing them through social programs, universal access to health services, and the mobilization of institutions in response to emergencies, among other initiatives.
