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The management of the Santa Clara Psychiatric Hospital denied that the institution is experiencing a care crisis and stated that the allegations circulating in recent days “do not reflect the reality of the hospital.”
In a message directed at relatives, patients, and the Villa Clara community, the center assured that it maintains its services with trained professional staff and with "dedication, sensitivity, and ethics," refuting claims of neglect in its wards.
The hospital director stated that the facility is “a space of care, respect, and commitment” where “there is no improvisation”: each admission —he said— is attended by doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and support staff who uphold medical routines, therapies, recreational activities, and communal spaces aimed at emotional recovery and respecting the dignity of the patients.
The hospital acknowledged that “there are always areas for improvement” and asserted that it works “with humility and consistency” to achieve this, but it refuted the image of critical conditions that, according to the statement, overlooks the daily work and the progress made.
He emphasized that the establishment is not a place of abandonment, but rather "a place of hope" where "listening, accompanying, and dignifying" take place, and that the priority is to maintain transparent attention towards the community.
In their final message, the management reiterated that they will continue to care for and advocate for mental health as a right and an act of love, emphasizing the importance of the staff and the support from sponsoring companies to maintain the center's operations for the benefit of the patients.
The message comes after a video was circulated on social media revealing the deplorable conditions in which patients at the Psychiatric Hospital of Santa Clara live: lacking hygiene, inadequate care, and surrounded by pests.
The recording shows a person lying on a mattress - not even a proper mattress - that is partially covered with a sheet, upon which numerous insects crawl around the patient.
The complaint was made by actress Lizandra Martín Martín, who raised the alarm that areas 2 (Las Minas) and 9 of the hospital are infested with bedbugs.
According to the report, the patients have lesions from the bites, and many sleep directly on the ground.
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