- Within Mexican health there are few women in high-ranking positions and one of them is Dr. Lourdes Vega Vega.
- He heads one of the few pediatric oncology hospitals in the world.
- The hospital is also the school where future residents are trained and also offers courses on childhood cancer aimed at first contact doctors.
Preparation is a fundamental part of medicine. Knowledge is constantly updated and in order not to be left behind it is necessary to maintain interest in the study. In this career, studies are never finished and a clear example is the Dr. Lourdes Vega Vegawho thanks to her professionalism is one of the best prepared women in everything related to child cancer.
In this sense, the preparation also has different objectives. Among the main ones are personal satisfaction and being able to provide a better service to patients. It also helps to access better job opportunities. In this sense, the specialist has an enormous responsibility because she acts as the General Director of the Children’s Hospital Teletón de Oncología (HITO) in Querétaro.
Academic training
To be able to occupy the position that he now has, nothing was free. She has come a long way and her studies endorse her as an avant-garde specialist who never tires of learning.
- Graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí.
- Specialty in Pediatrics by the National Institute of Pediatrics.
- Specialty in Pediatric Oncology by the National Institute of Pediatrics.
- Academic stay at St. Jude Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
- Master’s degree in Clinical Research at the Universidad Veracruzana.
- Master’s degree in Administration at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico (ITAM).
- Member of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology.
- Member of the Mexican Society of Pediatric Oncology.
- Member of the International Society of Oncology.
In an interview for salutary He shared a little about his work with us. The first thing he said is that since 2011 he has participated in the planning and construction of what is now considered the leading childhood cancer hospital in Mexico. The task was not easy because what is established by the NOM-016-SSA3-2012 about the minimum characteristics of infrastructure and equipment of hospitals.
A unique care model in the world
Now, not everything is about the team but also about the treatment offered to minors. The pediatric oncologist mentions that one of the aspects of which she is most proud is the service model that exists in the HITO because it is unique in the world.
In this case it is integral and refers in all senses. On the one hand, there are various specialists who attend to each patient and are in charge of verifying both their physical and emotional state. Both aspects are equally important for there to be an evolution and recovery of a disease as serious as cancer.
But something that makes the hospital located in Querétaro special is that it has a house inside the hospital itself and which was created for the relatives of the patients. This has reduced the abandonment of treatments that normally existed because it is often difficult to go to the health center.
Therefore, this space also receives patients from other entities. In addition, it is not only about offering a space to stay but also food and all the basic needs that a parent requires. Therapeutic support for them is just as necessary as it is for patients.
“What we achieved was to build a small town because we know that family support also helps children. That is why we have received patients from Tijuana to Yucatan because everyone trusts our work and what we do.”
Despite this new care model, the Dr. Lourdes Vega Vega He adds that there is still a severe problem facing Mexico. This is the late detection of cancer, which in the end decreases the chances of cure.
As an example, the Ministry of Health (SSa) mentions that the survival of children with cancer in Mexico is 57 percent. In contrast, in the most advanced countries the figure is higher than 80 percent.
One of the complications faced by many families who have infants with a tumor is the economic aspect. Both chemotherapy and the simple purchase of drugs require a high investment due to their high cost. As a consequence, not everyone can access a decent service.
On the other hand, if something distinguishes the HITO de Querétaro, it is that all the services, including the stay of the relatives, are quite low. The payment that must be made is minimal and it also has state-of-the-art equipment that can often only be seen in the most expensive private hospitals in the world.
In this way, each patient can receive radiation therapy, chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant, surgery, laboratory studies or the entire treatment.
The school where future specialists in pediatric oncology are trained
On the other hand, the hospital also functions as a school where residents come every year to complete their training and become specialists. While periodically courses are offered for first contact doctors to detect the first signs of cancer in children.
With the above in mind, the hospital has established itself as one of the best in our country. When the rankings are made, it usually appears among the first places and it is not only because of its model but also because of the teamwork carried out by its workers.
Finally, the Dr. Lourdes Vega Vega indicates that there are several hospitals specialized in caring for cancer patients in the world. Although when it comes to children’s oncology the list is minimal. There are very few spaces of this type and it is a pride that one of the best is in Mexico.