A Cuban man is demanding justice for his mother's death, which he attributes to severe medical negligence at the Miguel Enríquez Surgical Teaching Hospital, known locally as La Benéfica, in Havana. Yasmanis shared his tragic story on Facebook, detailing how his mother was transferred from a local clinic in Guanabacoa to the hospital on a Wednesday night. She was left in the observation area, but shockingly received no medical attention from doctors or nurses until 5:30 a.m.
"All I want is justice," Yasmanis declared. He was in Isla de la Juventud at the time and immediately sought a way to return to the capital to assist his mother. During his efforts to secure a passage back, a distraught neighbor called to inform him that his mother had died alone in the observation ward. Yasmanis attempted to contact the attending doctor via phone, but the physician refused to engage in conversation.
The ordeal worsened upon Yasmanis's arrival in Havana. He recounted how he could not see his mother until the legal medicine vehicle arrived that evening: “I saw her on a bare iron stretcher, without sheets or anything,” he described. Furthermore, he mentioned that his mother had been deceased for 38 hours while awaiting cremation. “They're asking for money to process my mother, claiming there are no available vehicles,” he noted about the situation at the Guanabacoa funeral home.
Yasmanis's words not only convey a son's grief but also highlight the deficiencies in Cuba's healthcare and funeral systems, which, according to him, have led to a series of negligent events with tragic outcomes.
Additional Incidents of Alleged Medical Failures
A Cuban woman, a mother of two, suspected of having dengue, passed away in Havana this week due to inadequate medical care, according to a report by someone close to the deceased. “I'm writing with evidence that she was taken twice by neighbors to the nearest clinic, still vomiting blood, feverish, unable to eat, and suffering from severe headaches. She was sent home because they said there were no medications,” wrote Raysa Juan Delgado on Facebook.
In August, the Health Directorate of Holguín denied allegations of medical negligence related to the death of a 20-day-old infant. They claimed the baby died from "complications acquired in the community," where he was given marjoram tea. This statement was in response to the mother, Arlety González, who told the independent outlet CubaNet that her son died due to medical negligence at the Banes Maternal and Child Hospital and later at the Provincial Pediatric Hospital.