Yednay Pupo García, a 19-year-old from Havana, faces a daily struggle for her life. Since she was 16, she has been living with chronic kidney failure, an illness that has defined her existence, health, and future.
However, what hurts him the most is the hopelessness that has settled in his life due to the lack of resources and medical attention in Cuba.
In a heartfelt testimony posted on her social media, Yednay shares how, at her young age, she has been forced to rely on a machine to survive, undergoing hemodialysis twice a week.
Despite the medical efforts, his condition is complicated by other ailments, such as ocular hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, chronic gastritis, and a heart murmur.
Her body, weakened by years of treatment, weighs only 36 kilograms, reflecting the severe deterioration of her health.
But what frustrates Yednay the most is that, although her doctors confirmed that she is a candidate for a kidney transplant, in Cuba that option is practically a utopia.
According to the report, the Cuban healthcare system, once a source of national pride, lacks the resources and infrastructure to provide a dignified future.
The 19-year-old does not ask for compassion, but rather for a chance to live. "I don’t want to be connected to a machine anymore; I want to live," she writes on Facebook, hoping that her message reaches those who can provide her with the help that the government has denied her.
"I am not asking for charity, I am asking for an opportunity," he cries out.
Yednay and her family depend on the generosity of those outside the country, as access to a decent life is no longer guaranteed in Cuba.
The collapse of the Cuban healthcare system: supplies and medications are scarce
Despite the promises to improve the healthcare system and official campaigns about advancements in kidney transplants, Yednay and thousands of Cubans continue to wait for adequate care.
The young woman reports that in her adult hospital, the conditions are deplorable: there are no supplies or medications, and the filters in the dialysis machines are not changed as frequently as needed.
She has gone up to 15 days with the same filter, which puts her life at risk due to the possibility of contracting a serious illness, such as hepatitis.
The regime continues to boast about a universal healthcare system, but the reality for the most vulnerable patients is very different.
Despite promises to improve conditions in hospitals, what is really happening is a constant shortage of resources and a complete collapse of services.
"My greatest wish is to have access to a transplant, and for that, I need to leave this country. I need to reach a place where there is at least a real possibility of being operated on," Yednay explained.
The official statistics on kidney transplants, which the government claims to have resumed in 2022, do not match the experiences of the patients.
In hospitals such as Miguel Enríquez and the Pediatric Hospital of Centro Habana, the shortage of basic supplies like erythropoietin, iron, and medications for hypertension is ongoing. Affected patients even have to bring their own supplies to continue their treatment.
Yednay's hope of accessing a kidney transplant lies solely in hospitals outside of Cuba, but the cost of the treatment and surgery is impossible to cover without international assistance.
The Exodus of the Sick: The Search for a Dignified Life Outside of Cuba
Unfortunately, Yednay's story is not exceptional in Cuba.
In April, the case of another young Cuban with chronic renal failure, Ayamey Valdés, went viral on social media.
The 19-year-old girl has lived her entire life connected to a dialysis machine and has reached the terminal stage while waiting for a transplant.
She also had to resort to fundraising campaigns to be able to leave the country and receive the necessary treatment.
In less than a month, the Cuban community inside and outside the Island managed to raise over $10,800 for her to travel to Brazil, where she arrived last week with her mother and stepfather.
There, in the city of Florianópolis, they have a residence in a building that houses a large Cuban community. Additionally, they are close to the renal hospital where Ayamey expects to receive specialized medical care at no cost.
According to journalist Mónica Baró Sánchez, the driving force behind the fundraising campaign, Ayamey arrived in Brazil in delicate health. Her goal is to receive a kidney transplant and fight for a dignified life.
The drama of unsustainability in the Cuban healthcare system
The Cuban government is unable to provide an effective response to these human tragedies.
Although the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) was supposedly able to facilitate the departure of those patients for treatment abroad, that program is no longer functioning.
The testimonies of Yednay and cases like Ayamey's reveal a social and human tragedy that extends far beyond the lack of medications.
It is a reflection of a healthcare system that can no longer be sustained, of a government that, instead of prioritizing the lives of its citizens, is focused on maintaining a narrative of efficiency that does not align with reality.
The crisis of the healthcare system is more than evident: insufficient resources, a shortage of qualified personnel, and inhumane conditions that directly affect the most vulnerable citizens.
Thousands of Cubans with chronic illnesses suffer the same fate, watching their lives fade away while the regime continues to uphold an empty discourse on public health.
In a country that was once considered a model for healthcare, the reality today is different: most patients cannot access basic treatments, let alone a kidney transplant that could save their lives.
Frequently asked questions about the health system crisis in Cuba and cases of kidney failure
Why does Yednay Pupo García need a kidney transplant outside of Cuba?
Yednay Pupo García, a 19-year-old young woman with chronic kidney failure in Cuba, needs a kidney transplant outside the country because the Cuban healthcare system lacks the necessary resources and infrastructure to perform such a procedure. Although doctors have confirmed that she is suitable for the transplant, this option is practically unreachable in Cuba due to the collapse of the healthcare system.
How does the health crisis in Cuba affect kidney patients?
The crisis in the Cuban healthcare system severely impacts kidney patients, who face a critical shortage of essential supplies for treatments like dialysis. This includes a lack of medications, hemodialysis filters, and other basic supplies. Patients often have to bring their own supplies if they wish to continue their treatment, which increases the risk of severe complications and even death.
What alternatives do Cuban patients with serious chronic illnesses have?
Cuban patients with severe chronic illnesses, such as renal failure or cystic fibrosis, often must seek international help to receive adequate treatments. This includes raising funds to be able to travel abroad and access medical procedures that are unavailable in Cuba. The solidarity of the international community and fundraising campaigns have become essential tools for saving lives.
What impact does the situation of Yednay and other similar cases have on the perception of the Cuban healthcare system?
The situation of Yednay and similar cases reveal a profound crisis in the Cuban healthcare system, which was once considered a model of medical care. These cases highlight the lack of resources, trained personnel, and the necessary infrastructure to care for the most vulnerable patients. Despite government promises, the reality is that many citizens cannot access the necessary treatments to save their lives.
Filed under: