THE “DR. EUSEBIO HERNÁNDEZ PÉREZ” OBSTETRIC-GYNECOLOGICAL HOSPITAL: THE SYMBOLIC MEMORY OF ITS ARCHITECTURE

Abstract

The following text analyzes the symbolism and functionality of the architecture of the “Dr. Eusebio Hernández Pérez” Gynecological-Obstetric Hospital (formerly the Maternidad Obrera) as a concrete expression of maternal and child care policies in Cuba. From a historical and social perspective, it highlights how this institution, inaugurated in 1941, has been a benchmark for the care of pregnant women and newborns throughout the country, especially in the municipalities of La Lisa, Playa, and Marianao in Havana. The intention of the hospital's design, designed by architect Emilio Soto, symbolically resembles the female reproductive system, representing the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, conveying the value of motherhood, even though in its beginnings it did not guarantee equitable access to health services. With the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, the hospital transformed its operations through the implementation of new health policies with a preventive focus, leading to the strengthening of specialized neonatal services, intensive care units, immunization programs, breastfeeding, and postnatal care. This transformation allowed the institution to become a healthcare center, with a space of social memory that integrates architecture, lived experiences, and the political commitment that supports it. This work highlights that the hospital represents a place of collective memory construction, where daily praxis is intertwined with symbolic design, reaffirming the value of motherhood as a priority of the Cuban State.