At least 100 Cubans remain hospitalized due to a lack of pacemakers, while another 1,500 require the device, revealed mediCuba-Europa, a network of Associations and Non-Governmental Development Organizations, this Tuesday.
The NGO, aligned with the regime, announced on Facebook that "most manufacturers of pacemakers refuse to market and ship them to Cuba," arguing that they have identified an Italian company willing to sell the single-chamber device for a price close to 500 euros, without specifying exactly which company it is.
The group emphasized that, together with a "U.S. solidarity group," they intend to acquire and send between 300 and 400 pacemakers in the coming weeks.
To that end, they are promoting a fundraising campaign to finance the purchase of the medical device.
“With a donation of 500 euros to mediCuba-Europa, you can ensure the purchase of a pacemaker for a needy Cuban patient,” it was emphasized in the statement.
Based in Switzerland, mediCuba-Europe is composed of members from thirteen European countries (Germany, Sweden, Italy, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Finland, Norway, Spain, and Austria), as well as partner institutions from three additional countries: the United Kingdom, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
In February, a Cuban mother was able to obtain a pacemaker after seeking help on social media, due to the government's inability to provide this vital device.
"I can't find the right words to express my gratitude, or any that capture the blend of love and hope I feel. I can only tell you that it’s a fact: I will have my pacemaker," announced Isaili Rivero from Pinar del Río on her Facebook profile.
Another person in Pinar del Río, also in need of the same device, found themselves in a difficult situation when the regime, unable to provide one, denied them the opportunity to import it.
Professor Alexis Machín Frontela, a resident of the Viñales municipality, had a friend willing to bring him a pacemaker to his home, but the government stated that it could not be imported by an individual.
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