Lenier Rosales Domínguez is a young doctor who loves with devotion the career he chose. He graduated from the Medical University of Guantánamo in July 2014 and at that time he dreamed of being able to fulfill social service in the mountains of Yateras.
However, his unconditional commitment as a member of the Brigade Mario Muñoz Monroe gave him the opportunity to do so in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela after receiving the diploma course in Intensive Care, and right here this story that is told alone begins, because its protagonist as well as being a qualified doctor, he is a very good conversationalist.
When I graduated, my province was going through an epidemiological situation of arbovirosis, therefore, I was immediately incorporated into medical care in the Red Code room of the General Teaching Hospital Doctor Agostinho Neto, two months later, in October 2014 I was called to fulfill a mission to the sister Republic of Venezuela, where professionals from the sector were also needed.
At the beginning it was very difficult, I was leaving the family for the first time, my parents could not hide the suffering, my brother and I, we have always been very close, I did not conceive then, the idea of being separated, my dad then said: "That is a task for the Revolution and you cannot fail."
Then everyone understood that it was my duty, in truth, I never lack their unconditional support to be able to undertake this difficult task. My parents are inspiration, example of sacrifice, perseverance, unconditionality and love. At each step I take I think how they would do it.
Once I arrived in Venezuela, I provided services in Valencia, Carabobo state, ASIC Ruiz Pineda. There I met excellent Cuban professionals who gave themselves with great commitment to the medical service in this brother town, many with broad experiences on the job and in previous missions. This greatly facilitated the completion of professional training for me and other young people, some of them became the family we need here.
Here I come to dedicate myself to work, perhaps that is why I was integrated into the Henry Reeve contingent, that made it possible to join important missions within Venezuela in the face of presumptive cases of Diphtheria in Bolívar state in October 2016 and in Apure after the Guadualito flood in 2015; In this way I was able to attend to people in need in hard-to-reach areas of the Venezuela. I still remember the gestures of thanks from many residents to Cuban doctors, their love for Cuba and Fidel.
At the end of the task, I was awarded by the Directorate of the Medical Mission in Venezuela the Commemorative Seal "Abril 16", the highest distinction given to a collaborator here, that compromised me a lot.
For his careful work in remote regions of Venezuela, Dr Rosales receives the Distinction April 16 during his first internationalist mission.
I finished my first mission in 2017 and returned to the Homeland with a sense of our having fulfilled my duty. In April of that same year, for my youthful career and discipline, I was awarded with the "Abel Santamaría" Medal by the Cuban Council of State.
My wife is my right arm, a doctor too, she helps me to be a better person, a better professional and to materialize the phrase that expresses that next to each consecrated man, there is a great woman sacrificed ...
We have a girl who is the center of the family, she is very naughty, affectionate. She is the greatest gift of my life and the greatest inspiration of my days. I am crazy to see her, my wife and I hope that she will be motivated and in the future be a doctor so that she can uphold the solidarity principle of Cuban medicine where it is needed.
In Cuba, I work at the Asdrúbal López Vázquez Polyclinic, in the southern area of the Guantanamo City, where I share with very consecrated and humble people. I miss them every day, I really hardly believe it when they selected me as the Best Worker in 2018, I was the first one who believed that others also deserved it.
A few months later, in March 2019, I was called again to return to Venezuela. My baby girl was barely 2 years old and did not want to be distant from her, but a sense of duty prevailed, this time to take the task as coordinator of a CDI in the state of Zulia, and here I am proud that in just a few days mark the 17th anniversary of the Barrio Adentro comprehensive health program.
#WeareContinuity
These are very difficult times for the world, of diseases and pandemics. Certainly, any Cuban collaborator is always at risk when leaving our country, but we are studying a career to heal those in need and my duty as a young Cuban is to support others.