# The prominent neurosurgeon and professor Humberto Sabás Hernández Zayas dies in La Habana

**Date:** 06/20/2021

On June 16, 2021, Professor Humberto Sabás Hernández Zayas passed away in Havana, a victim of Covid-19. He was a physician specialist in the second degree, full Professor and Consultant of Neurosurgery.

Founder of the Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery and of Hospital Hermanos Ameijeiras, Professor Hernández Zayas was born in Jovellanos, province of Matanzas, on December 5, 1933. He obtained his title of Dr. in Medicine in 1962 and as a specialist in Neurosurgery, first degree, in 1963.

He began high school in 1948 at Colegio de Belén and finished at the Instituto de segunda enseñanza in Santa Clara.

In 1953 he began his medical degree at the University of Havana.

He trained in neurosurgery under Dr. Picaza's group, who left the country with much of his team at the beginning of the Revolution. Then he joined Dr. Rafael Estrada González and Roger Figueredo to found the Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery in 1962, as a resident.

In his postgraduate service as a specialist, in 1966, he was head of the Neurosurgery services at Ambrosio Grillo Hospital and Pediatric North Hospital in Santiago de Cuba, and served as Head of the neuropediatrics service at INN from 1970 to 1982 and assistant subdirector.

He was a member of the National Group of Neurology and Neurosurgery since 1970 and head of the same from 1978 until his retirement.
Member of the National Commission on Defectology, member of the National Commission for Accreditation of Teaching Areas, specialist of the Inspection Department of MINSAP, advisor to the scientific commissions of INN, Hospital Hermanos Ameijeiras, CIMEQ and CIREN and jury member of the annual health award of 1995. Founding titular member of the Cuban Society of Neurology and Neurosurgery since 1968.

In 1982 he was appointed to organize and found the neurosurgery service of the Hermanos Ameijeiras Clinical Surgical Hospital.

In 1970 he was on an internationalist mission in Chile and in Nicaragua in 1987-1988, where he performed advisory work for the growth of the specialty in that country and the development of the teaching program for neurosurgery.

In 1998 he went to perform a collaboration mission in Brazil until 2001. He returned to INN as a consulting professor, having to retire due to illness that definitively limited him a few years ago. Guest Professor at the University of Cariri in Brazil. He visited 24 neurosurgical centers in different countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia.

He obtained numerous recognitions in his working life and several decorations; among them:

1984 "Manuel Fajardo Rivero" Medal (Council of State)
1986 Medal of Internationalist Worker (Council of State)
1987 Commemorative Medal 30th Anniversary of the FAR. (Council of State)
1987 "Fighter of the Clandestine Struggle" Medal (Council of State)
1992 "José Tey" Medal (Council of State)
1992 Founder's Medal. (Hosp. CQ. "Hnos. Ameijeiras" Cons. Direc.)
1994 Coin XXV Anniv. Of the Foundation of Higher Medical Education in the Central Region. (Inst. Sup. Cienc. Méd. Villa Clara)
1997 Commemorative Medal 40th Anniversary of the FAR. (Council of State)
1997 Coin XV Anniversary of the Hospital. Clinical Surgical "Hnos Ameijeiras."
1998 Frank País Order Second Degree Council of State.