Ramón Madrigal Lomba

Outstanding surgeon who dedicated himself to writing and compiling everything related to the history of medicine in Matanzas.

He was born in Sancti Spíritus, the former province of Las Villas, and later settled in Matanzas, the Athens of Cuba, becoming a matancero who loved this city and its history.

He graduated as a Doctor of Medicine in 1960 and earned a degree in History from the University of Havana in 1989. He was a second-degree specialist in Surgery and Assistant Professor and Researcher at the University of Medical Sciences of Matanzas.

Professor Madrigal dedicated his life to surgery, contributed to the training of new professionals in that specialty, was a tireless researcher, and devoted himself to writing and compiling everything related to the history of medicine in Matanzas. He was an assiduous contributor to the Electronic Medical Journal of the province and published various articles on the History of Medicine in Matanzas.

In 2016, he was awarded in the XLI edition of the contest "Annual Health Prize" for his book "The Renaissance: Epoch and Medicine."

Throughout his professional life, he held different positions and assumed various responsibilities; he was assistant teaching director of the Provincial Teaching Hospital "José R. López Tabrane"; member of the editorial board of the Medical Journal of Matanzas, of the Provincial Scientific Council (Faculty of Medical Sciences of Matanzas), and of the Provincial Surgery Group.

He taught 27 postgraduate courses and conducted 9 research projects, sharing his knowledge with other professionals. He taught 18 postgraduate courses, some of them shared with other professionals.
His eagerness to learn and to share what he had learned motivated him to actively participate in various Cuban and foreign scientific societies. He was a member of the Cuban scientific societies of Surgery and History of Medicine, as well as of the Mexican Society of Philosophy and History of Medicine and of the Latin American Federation of Surgery, FELAC.

His social commitment and spirit of solidarity motivated him to participate in the medical collaboration mission in Ethiopia during the years 1981-1985, where he served as professor and consulting surgeon at the "Black Lion" University Hospital in Addis Ababa; he was advisor to the dean of the Faculty of Medicine, president of the Commission on Professional Categorization, head of the Department of Surgery at "Black Lion" Hospital, president of the Scientific Council of Cuba in Ethiopia, delegate to the 8th International Conference on Ethiopian Studies (speaker) and delegate to the National Medical Congress in Addis Ababa (speaker, 1984).

He participated in several national and international scientific events, including 2 national medical congresses, 2 surgery congresses and 2 congresses on the history of medicine, and 6 scientific events in Ethiopia, 5 in Mexico and 1 in Spain.

He presented 114 scientific papers at congresses, conferences and scientific sessions and in 56 publications, of which 52 were in Cuba, 3 in Ethiopia and 1 in Mexico.

But without a doubt, his great work was the book "The Renaissance. Epoch and Medicine," which consists of 370 pages and more than 450 bibliographic references.

He also contributed to the website of the Provincial Center for Information on Medical Sciences of Matanzas in the History of Medicine section.

Throughout his fruitful life, he received numerous well-deserved distinctions and recognitions, among which several stand out awarded by the Cuban Society of Surgery; the Faculty of Medical Sciences, the Scientific Council of the Provincial Teaching Hospital, the Municipal Bureau of the PCC, the Assembly of People's Power and the Provincial Union of Health in Matanzas. Among them stand out:

- "For the contribution to the training of generations of surgeons"
- "For love and unconditional dedication to the great work of Education"
- "For his outstanding contribution to the development of health sciences"
- "Medal of the city of Matanzas"
- "For Cuban Education"
- Medal "José Tey"
- Founder of Medical Teaching in Matanzas
- Honorary Member of the Provincial Council of Scientific Societies
- Founder and President of the Provincial Chapter of the Cuban Society of History of Medicine in Matanzas
- Recognition for the 160th anniversary of the Santa Isabel Hospital of Matanzas
- Centennial Coin of the Foundation of the First Ministry of Public Health of Cuba and of the world

Several of the distinctions received moved this man, passionate about learning in order to serve others better—both his patients and their families, as well as his undergraduate and postgraduate students and his colleagues and friends.

Until his health permitted, Professor Ramón Madrigal Lomba was presiding over the Provincial Chapter of the Cuban Society of History of Medicine, of which he was the founder. From there and in his professional and teaching practice, he was always sharing with everyone, in an exemplary manner, his broad knowledge.