Havana, Cuba.- The Pedro Kouri Tropical Medicine Institute (IPK), located in Havana, is carrying out intense and recognized work against the spread of Covid-19 in Cuba.

In this regard, the first vice-director of the IPK, Vivian Kouri, stated on national television that the work in the area of hospitalization is intense through 24-hour shifts called crew.

These medical teams, nurses, cleaning staff, drivers and others live in the institution for 14 days, said the researcher from the national reference center in the research of infectious diseases.

Kouri added that support is not only from virologists, but also from members of other departments such as Bacteriology and Parasitology to collect the samples needed to study the disease caused by SARS Cov-2 coronavirus. She also noted that most of the staff at the IPK, founded in 1937, are women.

The work of the centre’s founder, Professor Pedro Kouri, in the field of parasitological research gave the centre national and international prestige.

In 1979 the Cuban authorities offered scientist Gustavo Kourí to develop the Institute as such under his father’s name.

Since that date, the objectives and scope of the IPK were extended to other branches of medicine and currently continues the study dedicated not only to Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, but also to professional training in Medical Microbiology, Infectology, and others, refers the website of the entity.

On October 29, 1993, the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, inaugurated the facility that the IPK currently occupies.