Juan Jesús Gestal Otero

Category: Doctor, professor and writer
Birth Date: 13th July 1947
Birth Place: Muros (A Coruña)
 Curriculum

He is Professor and head of the Preventive Medicine and Public Health Service at the University Hospital Complex in Santiago. He is a member of the Galician Academy of Medicine and Surgery and the National Academy of Medicine in Buenos Aires. He represented Peru as consul in Galicia. He got his degree in Medicine at Santiago University in 1970 and his doctor's degree at Navarra University in 1974. One year later, he was successful in a public competition to work as a doctor. From 1975 to 1980, he became a sanitary inspector in A Coruña, taking an active part on cholera epidemics. From 1981 to 1985, he was the head of public health in Santiago, promoting activities of hygiene at school. From May 1976 to December 1977, he became Director General of Public Health at the Xunta de Galicia, promoting a vaccination campaign against meningitis C, which allowed the epidemic to be controlled. He was invited by the Faculty of Medicine in Coimbra, Buenos Aires University, North-east University in Argentine, San Luis Gonzaga de Ica University in Peru, Pedro Kourí Institute in La Havana and Faculty of Law and Catholic University in Buenos Aires. He was nominated 'doctor honoris causa' at San Luis Gonzaga de Ica University in Peru.

 Work & Activities

He directs research works in public health and prevention of risks at work. He directed twenty-two theses and over a hundred minor theses for first degree. He gave over a hundred lectures in national and international congresses and collaborated with a like number of articles in scientific magazines. He wrote fifteen books and some chapters in other thirteen. These are some of his best-known books: La meningitis en Galicia, Epidemiología de la deficiencia mental, Riesgos del trabajo del personal sanitario (2 ed.), Medicina preventiva y salud pública (3 ed.), Tabaco y patología, El flúor en la prevención de la caries dental, Libros antiguos de higiene y sanidad 1800-1950, Guía de la sexualidad, enfermedades infecciosas emergentes, El envejecimiento... He also collaborated writing some chapters for other thirteen books.

 Other Interesting Aspects

He won some prizes for his research works such as 'Barrié de la Maza' (1980 and 1987), 'Caixa Galicia' (1984) and County Council Office of Pontevedra (1981, 1982 and 1987). From 1991 to 1995, he was president of the Galician Society of Medicine at work. He is also member of the Portuguese Society of Medicine at work, member of the Cuban Society of Microbiology and member of the Argentinian Medical Association. He got the medals of the Galician and Spanish Societies of Medicine at work.