Héctor Duyos Gato

He was born in Caibarien; for economic reasons his family moved to Remedios when he turned 4 years old, where he completed his primary studies and worked at the newspaper Avances.

In this locality he began studying Social Sciences by correspondence due to the motivations and concerns he had. In 1934 he moved to La Habana and after much effort began working at the estate "La Benéfica" as a substitute practitioner in order to fulfill the dream of his life: to study medicine.

A few months after enrolling in the medical program he participated in a strike at the Medical College, which cost him reprimands from some of his professors and nearly resulted in his expulsion from medical studies despite having paid his tuition.

During his medical studies, he continued working nights at the estate La Benéfica in order to pay his expenses with great effort and sacrifice.

Upon graduating as a physician in 1954 he was offered employment at City Hall, but he refused because he was not a supporter of the Batista government and continued in his previous job which he combined with unpaid work activities at Calixto García and Reyna Mercedes Hospitals with Aballí's son, due to his interest in learning about the care provided to newborns in these facilities.

Here he learned the technique of exchange transfusion, a procedure that was beginning to be performed at that time.

Because of the knowledge he obtained, he was offered a position at the private clinic "Sagrado Corazón" (now José R. Gonzales Coro Maternity Hospital) in 1957, where he worked as a pediatrician providing consultations and making house calls.

From the triumph of the Revolution he integrated the Medical Militias when they were created. Performing as a physician, he participated in the Escambray Cleanup, belonged to battalion 119 of 120 mortars where they nicknamed him "the artillery doctor."

In 1960 the William Soler Hospital was inaugurated and he was offered work there and accepted immediately, thus resigning from his position at the private clinic where he earned a better salary and in this way became part of the group considered as the first vanguard of neonatology in Cuba.

Since 1962 he has been a member of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of La Habana and during his fruitful career he researched and published various articles on the specialty, standing out among others his participation in the Manual of Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatrics and the preparation, together with Dr. Jordán, of the Growth and Development Charts.

At the William Soler Pediatric Hospital he began working in the Newborn Service which he contributed to developing along with other pediatricians and initiated teaching for the training of nurses and nursing assistants. In 1963 he was appointed director of this institution, with his contribution to hospital organization standing out to such an extent that the polyclinic attached to this Hospital bears his name.

In 1964 he began attending the Newborn Service of Enrique Cabreras Hospital which he developed as intensive care years later. In this unit he initiated undergraduate teaching, founded together with professor Olimpo Moreno the specialty of Neonatology in Cuba and continued with continuing education courses for nurses.

In 1967 he was awarded the ANIR card (National Association of Innovators and Rationalizers) for the improvements he made to the incubators in the service and the adaptations for the use of phototherapy lamps.

He contributed to the development of Newborn Services in Santiago de Cuba, Bayamo, Manzanillo, Holguín, Camagüey, Cárdenas and Pinar del Rio, independently of which he contributed to the training of many pediatricians who trained as neonatologists.

Among the merits and decorations he received stand out:
- Medal 250th Anniversary of the University of La Habana
- Medal XX Anniversary of the Triumph of the Revolution
- Order 10 Years in Education
- Order of Merit "Manuel Fajardo"

He was a member of the National Pediatrics Group and member of the Cuban Society of Pediatrics of which he was president from 1977 to 1980, was a member of the Cuban Society of Health Administration and of the Conference of Pediatrics of Mexico. He was awarded the degree of Doctor in Medical Sciences.

His colleagues at work describe him as very demanding, a tireless teacher, with no regard for time in teaching, care and administration. An example of a revolutionary physician and one of those who promoted the specialty of neonatology in Cuba.