The growing wave of migration that surrounds Cuba is one of the main reasons cited by the regime in the face of the shortage of blood and its derivatives in the island's healthcare system.
In this sense, the official newspaper Girón, from the province of Matanzas, reported this Wednesday the difficulties faced by the monthly extraction program, mainly due to the lack of resources and people of suitable age willing to donate.
The text, which quotes Dr. José Ignacio Alonso Martínez, director of the Minerva Duarte Provincial Blood Bank, points out that the territory is going through difficult times and alludes to the recurring excuse of "imperial blockade," as well as the aging population, the growth of migration, and socio-economic difficulties.
The adverse situation is palpable on social media: several Cuban families have used this platform to save their own lives or those of their relatives through voluntary donations.
This is a direct consequence of the significant decrease in the number of donors, which went from approximately 389,000 to 209,000 between 1990 and 2019, according to the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI).
In fact, the first quarter of 2024 recorded a program breach. However, Alonso acknowledged a slight increase in April (1501), which benefited the Oncology services, the Maternal-Child Program, and the emergency surgical system.
As part of the Volunteer Donor Day (June 6-14), the doctor emphasized that the call to donate blood remains open at all times, but the constant promotion by the Communist Party, local government, mass organizations (CDR, FMC-ANAP), and unions is necessary.
Two months ago, petitions were circulating on digital platforms for a girl and a young man who had been in an accident and needed blood, while activist Yoelkis Torres Tápanes turned to social media so that his mother could undergo surgery at the end of 2023 in Matanzas.
In March, another Cuban begged for help because his mother has been waiting for over a week: “I need a blood donation in Pilón, Granma. There are donors and supposedly there are no blood bags at the hospital,” explained internet user Alexis Vargas in a video he posted on Facebook.
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