Cuban First Vice President Jose Ramon Machado Ventura urged all national health centers to increase their saving efforts and the efficient use of resources.

During a visit to the Agosthino Neto General Hospital in eastern Guantanamo province, Machado Ventura said that this goal has to be attained without affecting the quality of services.

In order to achieve this, he added, “it is necessary to have more organization, control of resources and a proper use of the technological equipment for the diagnosis of patients that really need it,” Juventud Rebelde newspaper reports today.

During a tour around the outpatient surgical unit of the abovementioned hospital, which has seven conventional operating rooms, the top official made reference to the high cost of public health all over the world.

He stressed that having these services for free in Cuba, even amidst the current world economic crisis, is an achievement of the Revolution.

The Cuban leader also spoke with settlers of the Luis Raposo, Primero de Mayo and Villa Esperanza communities, where he saw ongoing resurfacing works and the restoration of roofs in hundreds of houses.