"The country is not going to sink. Despite the world economic crisis, we will keep advancing in social and human development", Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said, inaugurating a new pharmaceutical plant at Las Adjuntas, Caracas, on May 3. He was speaking on his weekly TV program Alo Presidente.
The "socialist pharmaceutical factory" will manufacture medicines to treat tuberculosis, diabetes, hypertension and gastrointestinal conditions, among other illnesses.
Chavez also showed plans to restart industrial production of medicines in Guacara, Carabobo state. There will be two plants producing antibiotics. Medicines will be produced to treat malaria, Chagas disease, tuberculosis and others.
The plants were built in 1993, but then abandoned by pre-Chavez governments. It will begin to function again with 64 workers and proper standards of security and quality.
In an impoverished, underdeveloped country such as Venezuela, the ability to mass produce needed medicines is an important achievement.
Chavez also announced the opening of 110 popular consulting rooms across the country as part of the Barrio Adentro free, public health system. Also opened were two facilities for integrated rehabilitation, an ophthalmology centre, and 17 new Barrio Adentro buildings, including the remodelling of three hospitals.
Venezuela has 482 integrated diagnostic centres, 545 rehabilitation centres and 23 centres of advanced medical technology, contributing to a total of 4575 centres in the whole country.