Héctor Terry Molinert

Physician, he was part of the First graduation of doctors of the Revolution. He is an Honorary Member of the Cuban Society of Public Health (SOCUSAP).

Doctor Terry began studying Medicine at age 18, in 1955. A year later, following the uprising in Santiago de Cuba on November 30, 1956, as part of the actions to receive the yacht Granma, -Batista decided to close the university and hundreds of Medicine students were left out-. Before the triumph of the Revolution, he was only able to take exams in three subjects of the program.

He studied journalism at the National School "Manuel Márquez Sterling" and medicine at the University of La Habana, where he joined the clandestine struggle from the beginning, in 1956. He was active in the Directorio 13 de Marzo and in the Movimiento 26 de Julio. He was detained on three occasions, one in 1956 and two in 1957, the latter until 1958, where he led the hunger strike that has been remembered with the title of "Malnourished and Victorious". He participated in the actions before and during the Strike of April 9. In May 1958 he went into exile to Miami, U.S.A. and to Mexico. In the latter place he was detained for participating in a demonstration against the sale of planes to the Batista government.

Upon the triumph of the Revolution he returned to the country and assumed the responsibility of Head of Press of the Office of Publicity and Information of the Presidential Palace. In 1960 he assumed the position of Head of the Press Department of the Municipality of Marianao and the responsibility of Accounting in the intervention of urban transportation routes 21, 22 and 86, where he was Secretary of the ORI Nucleus in that place. In 1961 he attended the Provincial School of Revolutionary Instruction and was selected by the Commander in Chief, Fidel Castro Ruz, to work in the National Commission of the ORI. At that time he assumed the position of Organizing Secretary of the ORI in the Boyeros Regional office.

In 1963 he returned to medical studies at the University of La Habana, where he graduated in 1965, as part of the class that graduated at Pico Turquino with the participation of Fidel.

He completed his Rural Social Service in Manzanillo, where he served as Sub-Director of Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Regional Health Department; in 1968 he assumed the position of Head of Occupational Health in the Provincial Health Department of South Oriente and the following year, Head of Hygiene and Organizing Secretary of the PCC Nucleus in the Provincial Department.

In 1969 he received the title of First Degree Specialist in Hygiene and Epidemiology and a year later was appointed Head of the Provincial Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology and later Sub-Director until 1973 when he was promoted to Provincial Director of Health and Member of the Provincial Committee of the PCC two years later. From that position, he supported from the beginning the work of the Provincial Health Union of South Oriente, participating in all its activities, always taking into account the opinion of the union organization to make administrative decisions.

In 1977 he was promoted to National Director of Hygiene of the Ministry of Public Health and, a year later, Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.

In 1980 he was promoted to Vice Minister in charge of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Health Education and in 1985 was elected delegate to the III Congress of the PCC. That same year he achieved the category of Second Degree Specialist in Hygiene and Epidemiology. In 1991, while serving as Vice Minister, he also assumed the position of Director of the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene.

In 1993 he was selected as a pre-candidate for Deputy to the National Assembly of People's Power by the ANAP and the CDR, receiving a Certificate of Recognition from the CTC. In March of that year he was awarded the Carlos J. Finlay Order and on April 19 of that year he was relieved of his responsibility as Vice Minister.

In September of 1993 he began working at the "Manuel Aneiro Subirat" Home for the Elderly as a clinical physician and that same month was elected President of the Base Association of Combatants "Jaime Vilella", of the municipality of Plaza de la Revolución. The following year he was elected General Secretary of the Nucleus of the Home for the Elderly.

In 1995 he received recognition from the CTC and the CDR for his work and in 1996 was elected member of the Municipal Board of the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution in Plaza de la Revolución. In April of that year he was promoted to Lieutenant of the FAR as a combatant of Playa Girón.

In 1997 he was selected as National Vanguard by the National Union of Health Workers, a distinction he received again in the years 2002 through 2009, without interruption.

Today, although already retired, he served as a clinical physician in the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution in Plaza de la Revolución.

In his scientific work he was able to carry out 7 important research projects, among which stand out: the etiology of suicide in Cuba, in 1984 and the epidemiological verification of the effectiveness of the anti-meningococcal vaccine, in 1991. The results of his research appear in 15 scientific publications and in his Presentations at 42 scientific events. He also participated in 14 Technical Missions with positive results.

As an educator he participated in 16 courses and 4 State Tribunals for obtaining the titles of specialist in Hygiene and Epidemiology and Licentiate in Journalism.

He was a member of the Cuban Society of Hygiene and Epidemiology, as an Honorary Member and Vice-President in the period 1980-85 and Member of the Board of Directors in the period 1985-90. He was also an Honorary Member of the Society of Food Hygiene and Full Member of the Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering.

Throughout his life he received multiple recognitions, distinctions and medals, among which stand out:

National:

– XX Anniversary of the Assault on the Moncada Barracks
– XX, XXX and XXXXX Anniversary of the FAR
– XX Anniversary of Playa Girón
– Distinguished Services of the FAR
– Seal of the Bon No. 154 of the University of La Habana
– Distinction Commander Manuel Fajardo (SNTS)
– Carlos J. Finlay Order (Council of State)

International:

– Doctor Honoris Causa of the Institute of Hygiene and Microbiology Bad Elster (GDR)
– Robert Koch Centennial Medal (GDR)
– Illustrious Guest of the city of Sucre, Bolivia (1991)

Biographical Summary

Biographical summary of Dr. Héctor José Terry Molinert

Work and political trajectory

Detained on 3 occasions: Military Intelligence Service (SIM) 1956, Radiomotorized Section 1957, 5th Police Station and Castillo del Príncipe, 1958.
Participant in the actions before and during the Strike of April 9, 1958.
Exiled in Miami and Mexico in 1958, detained in Mexico City for demonstration against the sale of planes to the Batista government.
Presidential Palace. Office of Publicity and Information (OPI) as Head of Press, 1959.
Municipality of Marianao. Press Department. Secretary of the Integrated Revolutionary Organizations (ORI), 1960.
School of Revolutionary Instruction, 1961-1962.
Graduated in the medical class of Turquino, 1965.
Rural Medical Service. Sub-Director of Hygiene and Epidemiology. Regional Health Department of Manzanillo, province of Oriente, 1965-1967.
Head of Occupational Health. National Public Health Department. South Oriente, 1968-1970.
Provincial Sub-Director of Hygiene and Epidemiology. South Oriente, 1970-1972.
Member of the Provincial Committee of the Party of Oriente. Delegate to the 1st and 3rd Congress of the PCC, 1975, 1985.
Provincial Director of Public Health. South Oriente, 1973-1976.
National Director of Hygiene of MINSAP, 1976-1978.
Director of the National Institute of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology, 1977-1980.
National Director of Hygiene and Epidemiology. MINSAP, 1978-1980.
Vice Minister of Public Health, July 1980-April 1993.
Director of the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene of MINSAP, 1990-1992.
Clinical Physician at the Manuel Aneiro Subirat Home for the Elderly, 1993.
President of the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution municipality Plaza, 1993.

During his rich work trajectory the following stand out:

First Degree Specialist in Hygiene and Epidemiology, 1969.
Second Degree Specialist in Hygiene and Epidemiology, 1986.
Received numerous courses related to Occupational Hygiene, HIV AIDS, nutritional surveillance, development of Primary Health Care in countries such as Bulgaria, German Democratic Republic, Washington, France.
Author of numerous national and international publications and multiple teaching activities, research and development such as Introduction of new technologies applied to virological diagnosis, Effectiveness of the anti-meningococcal vaccine, Professional diseases from inorganic dust, nutritional status in the child population, Etiology of Abdominal Distinction Syndrome, Etiology of suicide in Cuba, Epidemic Dengue in Cuba, Prevention and Control Program for AIDS, Epidemiology Program in Comprehensive General Medicine, Rodent Control Campaign and Hemorrhagic Conjunctivitis, Epidemic Neuropathy in Cuba.
President of the Cuban delegation in different technical missions, meetings of COMECON in Bulgaria in 1977 and Ulan Bator, Mongolia 1982, 1985.
Expert of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), 1977.
Advisory member of the PAHO Mexico, 1982.
PAHO advisor in hemorrhagic dengue epidemic in Nicaragua, 1983.
President of the Cuban delegation of Ministers of Public Health, German Democratic Republic, 1982.
Temporary PAHO advisor Nicaragua, 1985.
Cuban representative on the UNICEF Executive Board Rome 1985 and New York 1986, 1987 and 1988.
Vice President of the UNICEF Executive Board, 1985, and 1988.
Advisor of MINSAP of Cuba in the malaria epidemic in Angola, 1986.
Advisor of MINSAP of Cuba in the cholera epidemic in Angola, 1990.
Member of the AIDS Global Management Committee WHO Switzerland, 1992.

Medals and Distinctions obtained:

Honorary Member of the Cuban Society of Hygiene and Epidemiology, of the Cuban Society of Public Health and of the Society of Food Hygiene of the Scientific Council of Cuban Veterinarians and of the FEU.
Annual Service Award. Recognition from the Latino Caucus of the American Public Health Association, USA.
Illustrious Guest of the Science of Sucre, Bolivia.
Medal XX Anniversary of the Assault on the Moncada Barracks.
Medal XX Anniversary of the FAR.
Medal XX Anniversary Victory of Playa Girón.
Medal Combatant of the Clandestine Struggle.
Medal XX Anniversary of the Assault on the Moncada Barracks.
Medal XXX Anniversary of the FAR.
Medal Distinguished Services of the FAR.
Medal and Seal of the Bon No. 154 University of La Habana.
Diploma and Medal Honoris Causa of the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology Bad Elster (GDR).
Robert Koch Centennial Medal (GDR).
Distinction September 28 (CDR).
Distinction Piti Fajardo.
Seal XXX Anniversary of the State Security Organs.
August 23 Order.
Carlos J. Finlay Order and Medal.
Diploma Founder of the National Revolutionary Militias awarded by the CTC.
Diploma awarded by the National FEU as Founder of the Revolutionary Directorio 13 de Marzo.
Medal XXXX Anniversary of the FAR.
Medal XXXXX Anniversary of the FAR.
Medal XXXXXX Anniversary of the FAR.
Commemorative Seal XXX Anniversary of the Fall in Combat of the Heroic Guerrilla.
National Vanguard SNTS 1996, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008.
President Base Association of the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution (ACRC) Jaime Vilella Prats 1993-1998.
Member of the Executive Base Association of the Cuban ACRC Municipality Plaza 1997-2003.
Member of the Provincial Board of the ACRC 2003-2009.
Member of the Provincial Board of the ACRC 2009-2014.
Member of the National Association and provincial executive of the ACRC 2014-2021.