Seventeen patients were urgently evacuated by air from Imías following Hurricane Oscar.

The 17 patients from Imías who required emergency medical assistance and were evacuated by helicopter to hospitals in other cities in Guantánamo due to the flooding caused by Hurricane Oscar are stable, and some have been discharged and have already returned to their homes, according to reports from official media.

These patients had been airlifted to the provincial hospital in Guantánamo and the one in the city of Baracoa by the healthcare system of Imías, one of the municipalities hardest hit by the tropical cyclone, as reported by the newspaper Venceremos.

Among those who received care from emergency services were full-term pregnant women, four infants, patients with cerebrovascular diseases, one with a myocardial infarction, and others with decompensated heart diseases, the report noted.

The group also included a patient who was stranded in the mountainous community of Yacabo Arriba, cut off from land access, and the helicopter had to go in search of her.

Military personnel and medical staff have rescued and evacuated critically ill patients, including children, pregnant women, and other vulnerable individuals from isolated areas in Guantánamo by helicopter, following the passage of Hurricane Oscar through eastern Cuba.

According to reports from official media, thousands of people have been rescued following the unprecedented flooding that devastated and left entire communities in the municipalities of Imías, San Antonio del Sur, and Baracoa completely cut off.

During the week, rescue efforts have continued in search of missing families following the mudslides and rising rivers and reservoirs in Imías and San Antonio del Sur, according to reports from residents.

A week after Hurricane Oscar struck Guantánamo, the government has only confirmed the death of seven people, six in San Antonio del Sur and one in Imías.

However, the testimonies of those affected cast doubt on the official figures provided by the authorities. Residents of both towns have asserted that the reality is much more critical and that the deaths and disappearances far exceed what has been reported.

This Saturday, vehicle traffic was restored between the provincial capital and the municipality of Imías, which was severely affected by the storm.

The reopening will facilitate the distribution of food and essential donations through this route, contributing to the recovery of the municipality, reported Transportation Minister Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila on his Facebook profile. Until now, transfers were made via the Moa-Baracoa route, which entailed a delay of more than seven hours and high fuel consumption.

In recent days, food was also distributed in Imías through aerial operations conducted by the military.