Cuban Regime Acknowledges Hospital Shortages After Damir's Case Sparks Outcry: "We Don't Have Everything"

The uproar surrounding the dire condition of young Damir Ortiz, who was critically transported to the United States for medical care, has forced the Cuban regime to publicly acknowledge the deficiencies in its healthcare system. "We don't have everything," admitted government spokesperson Humberto López on Cuban Television News, a statement that has intensified criticism towards the country's hospital institutions.

The phrase "we don't have everything," delivered by the regime's leading propagandist, has been seen as a belated confession of an unbearable reality: the lack of medical resources is costing lives. As he has done in the past, López addressed the scandal with a speech that vacillated between superficial criticism and staunch defense of the system. He acknowledged that Cuban hospitals are "filled with difficulties, shortages, and lack of supplies," admitting that "sometimes the treatment isn't the best either."

However, he quickly tempered these admissions with a narrative justifying the dedication of the island's medical staff. "Generally, they are very dedicated people... who will cry if they have to and will invent whatever is necessary to find a solution to the problem we bring to them," he stated. López also hastened to point out that "it has never been said that Cuban medicine is perfect," nor that "all problems are resolved." He added, "If you ask me why they didn't say that, I would say: they can't say it because if they do, they would be lying."

In the same appearance, López issued a direct warning to those who report irregularities in the country's medical care, suggesting they could face legal consequences. These threats arise amid increasing restrictions on freedom of expression in Cuba, where Decree Law 35 imposes various limitations on the dissemination of information online.

The Damir Case: A Symbol of Neglect

Eliannis Ramírez, the mother of 10-year-old Damir Ortiz, revealed that in Cuba, her son received incorrect diagnoses and inadequate treatments, endangering his life. Following a vigorous social media campaign and intervention by activists, Damir was transferred to a Miami hospital, where he received an accurate diagnosis and necessary treatment.

Ramírez claimed that her son arrived in a septic state due to an undetected lung bacteria in Cuba, and the leukemia diagnosis given there was incorrect. These revelations have highlighted severe failures in the Cuban healthcare system and have sparked outrage both within and beyond the island.

In response to the backlash, the Cuban Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) defended the care provided to Damir during a televised appearance, blaming the mother for interfering with her son's treatment. Officials and doctors argued that all medical decisions were made by consensus and that the child's well-being was always the priority.

However, many have perceived these declarations as a governmental tactic to manipulate information and discredit criticisms. Ramírez countered the accusations made by doctors on Cuban Television, asserting that her son was a victim of medical negligence in Cuba and was being left to die. She pointed out that the doctors shown on television did not directly treat her son and that since she began publicly denouncing the case on social media, the regime withdrew adequate care.

The regime has also targeted Dr. Miguel Ángel Ruano Sánchez, a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation exiled in Colombia, who has been one of the most vocal critics of the healthcare crisis in Cuba. The Cuban Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation accused him of falsifying his resume and engaging in misconduct during a medical event in 2008. Ruano responded forcefully, denying the allegations and condemning what he described as a "media lynching" against him for political reasons.