Henry Omar Pérez1020 – 08 May 2026
At the Villa Clara Paediatric Hospital, where every minute can decide the fate of a newborn, the name of Abel Armenteros García, head of the Neonatal Surgery service, has become a symbol of hope.
Humble and serene, this doctor from Villa Clara has brought hundreds of families back to life, becoming the “Mr. Scalpel”, who sculpts miracles in the little ones.
His career, marked by simplicity and commitment, has led him to be a benchmark in Cuban Paediatrics.
To learn more about his story, we spoke with him in the corridors of the hospital, where the calm of his voice contrasts with the intensity of the battles he fights every day.
“Doctor Abel, what does it mean to you to enter an operating room with the life of a newborn in your hands?”
It is an immense responsibility, at that moment I do not think of myself, I think of the child and his family, each heartbeat that I manage to preserve becomes a future that opens up, a smile that can exist.
That gives me the strength to stay calm and act with precision.
—Do you remember any case that has marked you especially?
Many, but Lennier’s always comes to mind, operated on when he was just six days old. Their parents were devastated and trusted us.
When it came through, I felt like we not only saved a life, but also restored hope to an entire family. Those moments are not forgotten.
—How do you manage to maintain serenity in such critical situations?
Serenity is built with discipline and faith. It’s not just about technique, but about confidence in the team and in the preparation we have had.
I grew up in a humble neighbourhood in Condado, and that root taught me to face life with calm and determination. That led me to be a doctor, to the operating room, to be simpler, more human.
—Parents call him “the second father” of their children. How do you feel when you hear that?
It is an honor that I did not seek, but that I am deeply grateful for. There is no greater satisfaction than seeing those infants grow up, run and laugh. Knowing that I had a role in making that happen is my greatest reward.
What message would you give to young doctors who dream of saving lives?
May they never forget that behind each patient there is a family, a future. Medicine is not only science, it is also humanity. If you work with humility and dedication, the results come.
Abel does not boast of feats or look for headlines, he walks through the corridors of the hospital with the same simplicity with which he grew up in Santa Clara.
His colleagues recognize him as a teacher and silent leader; The parents remember him as the man who gave them their breath back.
In a world that sometimes forgets the value of the human, Abel Armenteros reminds us that there are people who dedicate their existence to being light in the darkness.
His legacy is not measured in recognition, but in heartbeats, in laughter, in lives that move forward.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 