Ernesto de la Torre Montejo

Graduated as a doctor of medicine from the University of La Habana in 1954.

He completed postgraduate studies in the specialty of Pediatrics at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, USA, which he finished in 1957. At that same Hospital he also completed short trainings in Pathological Anatomy and Hematology.

When the "William Soler" Hospital was inaugurated in 1960, he was appointed Service Assistant and promoted to Head of Service the following year, when he achieved the rank of Assistant Professor of Pediatrics. In the period 1961–1962 he completed a postgraduate course in Hematology at the Institute of Hematology in Prague, for 9 months. Upon his return, he was subdirector and later director of the aforementioned Hospital.

In 1966 he was the Founding Director of the Institute of Hematology and Immunology and, the following year, achieved the Second Degree in the specialty of Hematology, making a significant scientific and teaching contribution to the development of this specialty in the country.

In 1967 he was part of a Cuban Scientific Delegation that traveled to Viet Nam to investigate North American war crimes against that country.

In the years 1967–1968 he was Subdirector of Research at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of La Habana, carrying out this work simultaneously with other academic activities.

In 1977 he achieved the teaching rank of Full Professor and began studies for the Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences at the PCC Higher School, "Ñico López", where he graduated in 1981. That same year he achieved the scientific rank of Doctor in Medical Sciences.

Due to his scientific rigor and perseverance in this field, he achieved the rank of Senior and Meritorious Researcher, granted by CITMA in 1981, and Honorary Academician of the Cuban Academy of Sciences, Consulting Professor of the Enrique Cabrera Faculty since 1997, and Professor of Merit of the University of Medical Sciences of La Habana since 2002.

He participated in numerous national and international scientific events. In 1973, he organized, together with Dr. Luis Sánchez Medal (Mexican) and Dr. Tulio Arends (Venezuelan), the First Latin American Conference of Cooperative Work in Hematology. The Annual Nominative Conference of the Mexican Association for the Study of Hematology bore his name in 1991.

He published scientific works related to Hematology, Health Administration, Medical Education, and Primary Health Care. He was one of the scientific editors of the Pediatrics book and the Principal Author of the book "Health for All, Yes It Is Possible," Advisor to several Scientific Journals, and Member of the Academic Council of MEDICC since its founding in 1998.

His undisputed professional prestige made him deserving of achieving the rank of Full and Honorary Member of several Scientific Societies of Health and Temporary Advisor to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). Due to his significant trajectory in the area of teaching in the health sciences, the Universities of Medical Sciences of Camagüey and Santiago de Cuba granted him the rank of Doctor Honoris Causa in Medical Sciences.

His undisputed contributions to health management and Cuban medical education were recognized by entrusting him with responsibilities as Vice Minister of Teaching and Research in 1973, subsequently promoted to First Vice Minister in 1977, at the Ministry of Public Health.

He was part of the Coordination and Support Team of the Commander in Chief in 1982, faithfully fulfilling, for more than two decades, all assigned tasks. He was Deputy to the National Assembly (1993–1998) and President of the Commission on Health, Sports and the Environment (1995–1998).

Throughout his fruitful life he received numerous awards, distinctions, and honors, among which stand out the Comandante Manuel Fajardo Medal for 25 years of service, José Tey Medal and Frank País Order for Cuban education; Medal of the Centennial of the founding of the Ministry of Public Health of Cuba; Carlos J. Finlay Order granted by the Council of State; National Vanguard of the Public Administration Union in 1991, and Distinguished in Public Health awarded by the Representation of the Pan American Health Organization on the occasion of its centennial.

He held the Presidency of the National Council of Scientific Societies from 2009 until his death in 2016. He was the promoter and founder of the Annual Health Prize and received the Award for Scientific Merit for his life's work at the 40th edition of the Annual Competition in 2015.

But Dr.C. Ernesto de la Torre Montejo never ceased to be the pediatrician, with great sensitivity to others' suffering, which always inclined him to do good. A man of extraordinary intelligence, he was characterized by his modesty and simplicity, sharing his knowledge with all and always trying to learn from others, seeking answers to the thousands of questions that arose in his work as a doctor and researcher in the specialties in which he worked.