Ignacio R. Macías Castro

Eminent Cuban physician, professor, specialist in Internal Medicine.

Born in Ciudad de La Habana on July 31, 1920, Professor Macías was 78 years old at the time of his death.

He completed his early studies at Colegio Marista and graduated as a Bachelor from the Instituto de Segunda Enseñanza de La Habana. He obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Escuela de Medicina de la Universidad de La Habana in 1947; however, his work activity within the medical sciences began in 1942 as an external auxiliary student assisting in teaching at Hospital "Calixto García" where he later became an Intern and Resident Physician.

In 1948 he began his academic career as an associate to the Chair of Medical Clinic, was appointed Instructor in 1951 and Associate Professor in 1959. With the resignation and departure from the country of numerous professors, Dr. Macías Castro assumed the position of Full Professor of Medicine in 1960.

His scientific work is notable for his dedication to the study of arterial hypertension, which began with his thesis: "Treatment of Arterial Hypertension" with which he achieved his degree of Instructor in the Chair of Medical Clinic No. 7 in 1948, a subject in which he worked intensively throughout his academic career, which earned him the distinction of being designated as an expert by the World Health Organization.

Extraordinary contributions to medical care in our country were his research works on blood pressure conducted from the polyclinics "Carlos J. Finlay" and "27 de Noviembre" in Marianao and at Hospital "Salvador Allende".

In 1975 he created the First Program for Community Control of Arterial Hypertension, which after being approved by the WHO, was used in a multicenter study in 13 Latin American countries. From his position as Chief of the Provincial Group of Internal Medicine, a position he held for more than 15 years, programs for non-communicable chronic diseases were organized and standardized through an important and massive scientific conference, which became part of the comprehensive care program for adults.

Subsequently, in 1982, he drafted Cuba's first Health Promotion Program, which includes the fight against smoking, obesity and sedentary lifestyle, and which was approved by the Council of Ministers and the Political Bureau of our Communist Party of Cuba for its dissemination and implementation.

A teacher and educator par excellence, he was a pioneer in establishing teaching in several hospitals throughout the country. Hospital Nacional "Enrique Cabrera"- 1962, Hospital Provincial de Santa Clara-1968, Hospital "Salvador Allende"-1970, influencing in each of them the development of this important activity to which he was always so willingly dedicated.

From 1985 until his death he was Consulting Professor of Clinical Medicine at Hospital Clinicoquirúrgico "Hermanos Ameijeiras", where he efficiently advised the Multidisciplinary Group on Arterial Hypertension. He was the author of numerous publications in national and foreign journals.

To his scientific and teaching activities, Professor Macías Castro contributed his knowledge and abilities as an organizer in different fields where he worked, such as:
- Member of the board of directors of the Sociedad Cubana de Medicina Interna.
- Member of the National Group of Internal Medicine of the Ministry of Public Health.
- President of the National Commission on Arterial Hypertension.
- President of the Permanent Court for Scientific Degrees of the Ministry of Higher Education.
- Director of the Revista Cubana de Medicina.
- Advisor for Arterial Hypertension at the WHO and PAHO.
- Member of the Interamerican Society of Hypertension.

He participated in multiple national congresses of both internal medicine and other specialties; as well as in 35 International Congresses and was the recipient, among others, of the orders "For Education" and "Carlos J. Finlay", and also received the title "For University Dignity".

This is, in brief summary, the exemplary life of Professor Ignacio Macías Castro, who also knew how to establish a dedicated family inspired by his moral qualities and scientific advancement that is perpetuated today in his daughters and who always had the most firm support of his beloved wife. But his example, his dedication to medicine, to the teaching of clinical practice, the respect and consideration for his colleagues and students was and will always be an imperishable memory for all those with whom he worked and for those of us who learned from him.

On September 24, 1998, Dr. Ignacio R. Macías Castro, one of the most illustrious professors of medicine in our country, passed away.

Source: Rev Cubana Med 1999;38(1):91-2.