Cuban Government Denies Infant Mortality Statistics Manipulation Following Newborn Death Allegations

This Sunday, the Cuban government refuted allegations made on social media by exiled doctor Alexander Jesús Figueredo Izaguirre. He shared the account of Dr. Anabel Obregón, who claimed institutional pressure was applied to let a newborn die at a hospital in Placetas, Villa Clara, to prevent it from being counted as an infant mortality in official statistics. The accusation sparked widespread concern online, highlighting that Dr. Obregón had been criticized for performing an emergency cesarean that saved the baby's life. During a meeting with health authorities, she was reportedly told, "That baby should have died in the womb. If it dies now, it counts towards infant mortality. Try to keep it alive for more than a year, or you'll face political problems."

On Sunday, Juan José Pulido López, the provincial health director in Villa Clara, publicly dismissed the story on Facebook, labeling it as "utterly false" and "a gross media manipulation." Pulido argued that Dr. Obregón "has not practiced medicine in Cuba since December 2013 and has been living in the United States for over eleven years," making the events alleged unlikely to be true in his view.

However, Dr. Obregón's current residence in the U.S. does not necessarily invalidate the potential for such incidents to have occurred prior to her departure from Cuba, reflecting her professional experiences within the Cuban healthcare system. The official denial lacked documented evidence disproving the event, instead focusing on discrediting the testimony based on her residence.

The Broader Pattern of Institutional Pressure

Pulido also turned his criticism towards Figueredo, suggesting that living abroad disqualifies him from authoritatively commenting on Cuba's healthcare system—a common strategy used by Cuban officials to undermine critiques from the exile community without investigating the core allegations. The initial complaint pointed to a pattern of institutional pressure to manipulate infant mortality figures, a sensitive issue in Cuba due to the regime's portrayal of these statistics as achievements of the socialist system.

What fueled the social media debate was not only the weak official refutation but also the fact that Figueredo's allegations prompted numerous individuals to share similar experiences, thereby generating further accusations. Frank Alemán's chilling testimony, recounting a similar incident during his studies in Cuba in 1991, added a historical layer to the current allegations.

Alemán described witnessing a newborn being left in critical conditions, naked on a metal tray under air conditioning, and being persuaded that the baby's movements were merely post-mortem reflexes. After protesting, he was removed from duty for being "agitated" and was expelled months later. According to his account, at-risk newborns were often declared stillborn to meet the statistics demanded by Fidel Castro, which aimed to present an artificially low infant mortality rate worldwide. "To this day, I have nightmares about that baby," Alemán confessed.

Testimonies and Historical Context

Additional testimonies include that of Dayamis Orizondo Ortega, who recounted witnessing similar situations while studying in Santa Clara's gynecology and obstetrics department. She noted that severely depressed newborns were left "in a little corner in the cold," and mothers were later informed that they had been stillborn to prevent them from being counted as infant deaths but rather as late fetal deaths. "All for the sake of statistics and selling false infant mortality rates," she wrote.

Orizondo commented further, recalling that as a second-year student, she did not understand what was happening and observed everything through glass. "I didn't open my mouth to ask... later, someone explained to me what really happened. I remember having to discuss it with my priest because it wouldn't let me live," she confessed, evidencing the emotional toll it continues to exact.

Javier V. Hernández, a Cuban nurse with gynecological and obstetric training now residing in Spain, added his voice to the growing list of denuncations. In a social media post, he claimed to have personally witnessed similar incidents during his tenure in Cuban delivery rooms. He alleged that obstetricians were often judged and pressured to maintain "favorable" statistics and that performing a cesarean deemed "unjustified" was treated as an offense, even in cases of evident fetal distress or complications like cord strangulation. "I saw it; no one told me about it," he asserted.

Hernández also pointed out that with shortages of resources and specialized personnel, such as anesthesiologists and obstetricians, statistics were prioritized over actual patient care: "In Cuba, statistics speak louder than reality," he concluded.

The account of Iriannis F. Velázquez, who ceased practicing medicine three years ago, echoed the institutional pressure experienced by healthcare professionals. "It's always the same story: in the end, the doctor is to blame for everything," she wrote. Despite the passage of time, she still bears the pain of having worked within a system that prioritizes rigid protocols over saving lives to maintain manipulated statistics. "Every time I hear something like this, I wonder how statistics can be more important than saving human lives," she lamented. Her testimony underscores the conflict between medical ethics and state bureaucracy, influencing professional decisions even in the most sensitive cases.

Widespread Crisis and Social Implications

Gigi Regueira's testimony, who worked in a Cuban polyclinic, provides a firsthand look at how official statistics are managed within the system. She recounted the crisis of epidemic neuropathy cases, during which statistical staff manually recorded cases until instructed not to document them under that diagnosis. "If a case arose, they were to record it as something else," she was told. This revelation was eye-opening: "That's when I understood the falsehood of Cuban statistics; it was all a facade," she said. Her experience reinforces the notion that deliberate data alterations in public health are institutionalized practices to uphold an image detached from reality.

Omi Saide Elida Murga Quiroz's words reveal the devastating impact of such practices both professionally and personally. As a clinic nurse, she recounted the personal loss of her baby at 29 weeks and one day of gestation. During a discussion of area fatalities, her case was mentioned, and to her astonishment, the head of the Maternal and Child Program ruled it shouldn't be discussed, claiming the baby "had problems" and that she had expressed not wanting to be a CVP (case with prolonged surveillance). "You can imagine the scene I made," she wrote, clarifying that the pregnancy was entirely planned and desired. Her experience demonstrates how the system can not only minimize personal grief but also invalidate facts when they don't fit the statistical narrative being presented.

Maire Valdivia's account adds a more recent dimension to the reported pattern. She shared that her daughter, who is about to turn six, was born with severe IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction). Despite signs of fetal distress, including heart rate drops, she was forced to deliver naturally. The gynecologist who decided on an emergency cesarean was later questioned for his actions. "He now lives in Angola," Valdivia wrote, alluding to the personal cost many professionals face for prioritizing life over compliance with statistical protocols or bureaucratic decisions. Her testimony illustrates how institutional pressures not only affect patients but also push those who act ethically into exile.

Concerns about infant mortality in Cuba, particularly in Villa Clara, have been mounting recently. Various allegations suggest an increase in cases linked not only to medical causes but also to structural deficiencies and institutional negligence. Amid this reality, the Ministry of Public Health reported an infant mortality rate of 7.4 per 1,000 live births in 2024, continuing an upward trend from previous years and nearly doubling the levels from the previous decade.

Simultaneously, birth rates have plummeted dramatically, exacerbating the demographic crisis. From January to July 2024, there were over 8,000 fewer births than in the same period the previous year, reflecting an environment where socioeconomic conditions, limited access to basic services, and distrust in the healthcare system deter many families from expanding. Official data indicate that birth rates have reached their lowest point in 60 years, revealing a distressing demographic and social landscape.

Concern intensifies in provinces like Villa Clara, where independent media and citizen testimonies have documented a rise in neonatal deaths. Although the government has attempted to discredit these reports, the data and testimonies suggest a broader pattern. Previous incidents, such as the one at Diez de Octubre Hospital in Havana, where ten newborns died in early 2023 due to poor hospital management, continue to resonate as symbols of a healthcare system in crisis.