A 74-year-old woman spent three days waiting in line at a pharmacy in Camagüey, hoping to obtain her medication this Thursday.
The story of this woman, named Marta, was shared on Wednesday by the Camagüey journalist José Luis Tan Estrada, who was deeply moved by her ordeal.
"Many elderly people are here, taking their chances without knowing what they will get, because if you ask the pharmaceutical companies, they don’t know; it's all left to luck and truth," the lady commented, reflecting the uncertainty and weariness she and other seniors in the same situation are experiencing.
Marta lives on a pension of 1,500 pesos, an amount that barely stretches to the end of the month and does not even cover her basic needs.
On the black market, the value of the medications needed doubles one’s pension, making the situation even more difficult, the journalist noted.
“In her right hand, Marta holds a white nylon bag with a bottle of water that will keep her company throughout the afternoon. Her face shows the mark of the sun, and her skin reflects the fatigue and scars of life,” noted Tan Estrada.
"She walks a few steps and sits on the waiting bench, next to others who share her wrinkles and more," she expressed.
The economic crisis in Cuba has hit the elderly particularly hard, as they struggle with insufficient pensions to meet their basic needs. Moreover, being the age group most vulnerable to illness, the increasing shortage of medications affects them in a particularly severe way.
Last May, an elderly Cuban reported that people have to spend the night outside pharmacies in hopes of obtaining the medications they need the following day.
Carmen Pérez Martín shared a photo on her Facebook profile in which she is sitting on a small bench in a passageway, waiting for her turn.
Very close by, another elderly man hangs his head in waiting: "Many slept outside the pharmacy, hoping to get the medication we need. Life is only one, and here we are, standing in line after line. And we just keep enduring," he lamented.
However, the hardships that grandparents in Cuba endure will unfortunately continue.
Cuba's Minister of Public Health, José Angel Portal Miranda, informed the deputies of the Health and Sports Commission of the Cuban Parliament last July that the shortage of medications in pharmacies across the country will continue.
"The minister highlighted that it would be irresponsible to say that this situation will be resolved in the coming days," justifying the shortages due to a lack of funding and internal organizational problems, according to the state-run portal CubaDebate.
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