The Island of Exile
The Island of Exile
Leprosy is an infectious disease, contagious as the case may be, because if it is in treatment there is a zero percentage of infection, this disease produces skin and nerve lesions.
In Venezuela, about 2 minutes by boat from Maracaibo, the capital of Zulia state is "La Isla Del Burro" also known as "La Isla de Lazaro" or finally as it is currently named "Island Providence".
This is the place where the first Venezuelan antidepressant hospital was created, it was created under the decree of Simón Bolívar signed on September 5, 1828, who maintained that saving the lives of these people was very important, since society simply rejected them as Humans.
This is the place where the first Venezuelan antidepressant hospital was created, it was created under the decree of Simón Bolívar signed on September 5, 1828, who maintained that saving the lives of these people was very important, since society simply rejected them as Humans.
The hospital had 17 pavilions, spaces for men, women and houses for sick people who lived as a couple, also had recreational and academic spaces in the area of arts and also a small cemetery.
The sick were on this island until 1984, it was evicted in its entirety, by the staff that worked and the sick, were transferred to the Cecilia Pimentel hospital in the state, because Doctor Jacinto Convit had invented the vaccine against Leprosy, the doctor had isolated with the sick on the Island, while treating them as their doctor, lived with them as a society, and always maintained great solidarity with patients.
The sick were on this island until 1984, it was evicted in its entirety, by the staff that worked and the sick, were transferred to the Cecilia Pimentel hospital in the state, because Doctor Jacinto Convit had invented the vaccine against Leprosy, the doctor had isolated with the sick on the Island, while treating them as their doctor, lived with them as a society, and always maintained great solidarity with patients.
Dr. Jacinto Convit
Jacinto Convit was born in La Pastora, a very popular area of Caracas / Venezuela, on September 11, 1913, son of Venezuelan mother and Spanish father, Flora García Marrero and Francesc Convit i Marti.
He studied in La Guaira, where he was a student of Romulo Gallegos, being a prominent student in Mathematics and Philosophy. In 1932 he entered the School of Medicine of the Central University of Venezuela, where he obtained the title of Doctor of Medical Sciences in 1938. After this he went to the United States where he specialized in the area of Dermatology, with main attention in leprosy. , visiting the sick until he found a cure for this disease. Jacinto Convit died on May 12, 2014, at 100 years of age.
He studied in La Guaira, where he was a student of Romulo Gallegos, being a prominent student in Mathematics and Philosophy. In 1932 he entered the School of Medicine of the Central University of Venezuela, where he obtained the title of Doctor of Medical Sciences in 1938. After this he went to the United States where he specialized in the area of Dermatology, with main attention in leprosy. , visiting the sick until he found a cure for this disease. Jacinto Convit died on May 12, 2014, at 100 years of age.