# Dr. Luis Curbelo, Director of Cuba's Institute of Oncology, Passes Away

**Date:** 07/06/2022

In the afternoon of July 2022, Dr. Luis Curbelo Alfonso passed away at the age of 72, having served as director of the Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology since 2011.

Born on November 24, 1950, in the municipality of Melena del Sur in the former province of La Habana, Dr. Curbelo was a Specialist of First and Second Degree in General Surgery and held a Diploma in Hospital Administration.

Curbelo completed internationalist missions in the People's Republic of Angola (1978-1979), Haiti (2000-2004), Brazil (2004-2005), and Algeria (2007-2011).

With an extensive record of service in the Ministry of Public Health, he served as Head of Intermediate Care Ward and Head of Basic Working Group at Calixto García Hospital, advisor to the Director of the Polytrauma Hospital in the People's Republic of Angola, Director of Comandante Pinares Hospital in the current province of Artemisa, First Vice Director of the Provincial Health Directorate of Pinar del Río, First Vice Director of the Provincial Health Directorate of La Habana, Head of Mission in the Republic of Haiti and in the Republic of Brazil, Director of the Salvador Allende School, Director of the Ophthalmological Hospital in the Republic of Algeria, and Director of the Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology.

In the last decade, at the head of Cuba's principal institution for cancer treatment, Dr. Curbelo led his work team to achieve important accomplishments, among which stand out hospital accreditation by Minsap at level III, certification of the institution as a Good Clinical Practices site by Cecmed, certification of the specialty of Medical Oncology by the National Accreditation Board of the MES, the Labor Prowess Flag, and the Jesús Menéndez medal, among others.

His tireless work earned him important distinctions including the International Fighter medal, the Félix Elmusa medal, and the Manuel "Piti" Fajardo medal for more than 25 years of uninterrupted work in the sector.

But the greatest recognition he received was the respect and admiration of his colleagues, subordinates, and managers, earned through his leadership and dedication to work; as well as that given by patients and families for his humanitarianism and unconditional support for cancer patients.