A Cuban father recently took to social media to highlight the troubling delay in medical care for his five-month-old daughter at a clinic in Santiago de Cuba. He revealed that he was asked to provide fuel for the ambulance needed to transport his daughter to a hospital.
Jesús Manuel Cuevas De La Rosa, the distressed father, recounted bringing his daughter to the Luis Carrión clinic in Cuatro Caminos as she was suffering from vomiting and diarrhea. Initially, doctors diagnosed her with "mild dehydration."
The father explained that the clinic contacted the San Luis hospital, only to be told that the ambulance could not be dispatched due to a lack of fuel. "If you can find the fuel, we'll send the vehicle," was the response given, prompting Cuevas De La Rosa to question the efficacy of the Cuban healthcare system.
Ultimately, the child was transported to Hospital Colonia in Santiago's capital with the assistance of a neighbor who owns a private business. Images shared by the father show the young girl intubated to receive necessary treatment.
Healthcare Crisis and Public Outcry
"We boast about having an army of white coats, but what we truly need are doctors, not coats," the father lamented. "We see them in the news crossing the Amazon and jungles to treat patients—are there no jungles in Cuba? Or do we need to go abroad for proper care? How much longer must we endure this? How much more must we suffer for healthcare that's claimed to be free?" he questioned.
The fuel shortage adds to the already dire scarcity of medications, posing severe challenges for Cubans seeking medical services. Many conditions have worsened significantly due to the lack of basic supplies, such as syringes, needed for routine treatments.
Widespread Shortages and Government Response
Since the beginning of the year, Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged that the shortfall of medical supplies and basic pharmacy items would persist across the island. Pharmacies remain empty, and essential products are missing.
However, the scarcity of fuel, the exodus of hundreds of healthcare professionals, and the impact of power outages have painted a grim picture for the Cuban populace, exacerbating the healthcare crisis further.