The dire state of sanitation in Havana and other Cuban cities, exacerbated by the buildup of trash and leaking sewage water, is now impacting public health facilities. This situation is perpetuated by the neglect and inaction of authorities responsible for maintaining urban cleanliness. This Monday, contemporary art critic Jorge Gómez de Mello brought attention to this issue by highlighting the sewage and garbage surrounding the Dr. Abelardo Ramírez Márquez clinic, located at the corner of 15th and 18th streets in Vedado.
In a Facebook live session, Gómez de Mello revealed that this medical center has been enveloped by sewage and a garbage dump positioned right in front of the emergency entrance for weeks. "It remains like this for weeks on end," emphasized De Mello, while showcasing through his phone the piles of trash and sewage lining 18th street and the intersection with 15th, directly across from the clinic, once a key institution in Havana's healthcare system.
De Mello stated that the clinic is "literally surrounded by sewage and garbage," and demonstrated how the overflow of waste water extends along the sidewalk curb encircling the facility, including the main entrance and the opposite walkway. "It's a shame that the video can't capture the stench we're experiencing... Completely surrounded," he lamented at the video's conclusion.
Public Outcry and Government Inaction
The artist's complaint adds to numerous others made by Cubans on social media about massive garbage heaps and sewage floods in various cities, with no effective response from the government to address the issue. A post in the Facebook group "El Vedado de hoy" last week illustrated the deplorable state of another corner in the Havana neighborhood, once regarded as a model of urban development, but now engulfed in filth and stench everywhere.
"Today 19 and.......?????? Please, it’s impassable," wrote Pedro Luis García in his post, which drew reactions from dozens of residents sharing comments and photos depicting the dire conditions in their neighborhoods and how their daily lives have become a struggle.
Efforts to Tackle the Waste Management Crisis
Garbage collection in Havana is facing a severe crisis, partly due to the poor condition of garbage trucks, many of which are out of service because of a lack of tires, batteries, and other essential parts. Last week, Alberto Ernesto Rodríguez García, the provincial director of Communales, announced a budget of 7 million pesos to purchase between 300 and 400 tires and 126 batteries. This investment aims to rehabilitate the garbage truck fleet in the capital, thereby improving the critical hygiene situation affecting several municipalities.
In response to the worsening sanitation crisis in Havana, leader Miguel Díaz-Canel launched a comprehensive offensive earlier this month against the uncontrolled accumulation of garbage.
Health Implications of Poor Sanitation
The unsanitary conditions in Cuban cities have significantly contributed to the spread of epidemics such as dengue fever and the Oropouche virus, with no end in sight, as acknowledged by health authorities. Last week, Dr. Francisco Durán, director of Hygiene and Epidemiology at the Ministry of Public Health, admitted in an interview with the state-run television news that both diseases remain unresolved in the country: "The situation remains unchanged," he summarized.
Dengue cases have now expanded to 14 provinces, with active transmission in 56 municipalities and 51 health areas, while the Oropouche virus is present in all 15 provinces, affecting 110 municipalities.