The government of Santiago de Cuba boasted on social media about the ongoing repairs at one of the city's hospitals; however, it did not address urgent issues such as the shortage of medical supplies and medications.
Manuel Falcón Hernández, the governor of the province, boasted on Facebook last Saturday about the renovation of the emergency service facilities at the Saturnino Lora Provincial Hospital. According to the official, this construction intervention will provide "a more comfortable and functional space for patients in need of medical attention."
The governor emphasized that, along with Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, the First Secretary of the Party in Santiago de Cuba, they visited the Southern Children's Hospital, better known as La Colonia, “to oversee the hygiene and sanitation efforts being implemented to prevent arboviral diseases.”
Finally, it was reported that they exchanged views with workers and patients regarding the situation of the care centers, as well as the "actions taken to ensure a healthy environment."
However, what the leader did not explain, as he was visiting these healthcare centers, are the ongoing complaints about the sanitary conditions in both hospitals.
Recently, the Saturnino Lora Provincial Hospital faced criticism due to the accumulation of waste in one of its restrooms, as well as blockage in the sanitary facilities.
A similar situation was reported in La Colonia, where the foul odor from the restrooms affected patients and their families in the waiting area.
The governor also did not explain that the repairs being made at the Provincial Hospital do not address the shortage of essential medications and supplies, such as antibiotics and antacids, or the scarcity of disposable gloves. Currently, these gloves are washed and left to dry in order to be reused.
A nurse consulted by CiberCuba, who wishes to remain anonymous, explained that they are currently forced to use washed gloves that are not sterilized. She has even seen doctors performing procedures without wearing them due to the lack of this essential supply at the healthcare facility.
"There are no cephalosporins or meropenem, two of the most important antibiotics. Currently, there is also no dipyrone or diclofenac available. Gastroprotective agents are also lacking," he noted, emphasizing that while repairs are important, these medications are equally crucial.
He also pointed out that the center is burdened by longstanding issues that have yet to be resolved, such as leaks in several rooms and inadequate climate control. These situations are known to the government of the province of Santiago de Cuba, he warned.
There are frequent reports of shortages of medications and supplies in hospitals, as well as the precarious conditions in which healthcare centers across the country find themselves.
Recently, a Cuban shared images depicting the unhygienic and unsanitary conditions of the Dr. Gustavo Aldereguía Lima University General Hospital in Cienfuegos, which, in his own words, has become "a pigsty."
"It is not a landfill, but images from the very room where dengue patients are in the Hospital of Cienfuegos, complete with cockroaches to add to the horror," pointed out the administrator of the Facebook group 'Molinos'.
A similar situation was reported last May by the Cuban YouTuber Raisa Zequeira, who shared with her followers what a day is like at the Provincial Pediatric Hospital of Artemisa, where her four-year-old son was admitted.
The images portray the deep crisis facing the Public Health System in Cuba. In addition to the lack of medications, the shortage of medical supplies, and the deteriorating hospital infrastructure, there are also unsanitary conditions in the hospital.
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