Repair of hospital in Santiago de Cuba does not solve shortage of antibiotics and gloves

The government of Santiago de Cuba boasted on social media about the ongoing repairs at one of the main city hospitals; however, they did not address the urgent issues such as the shortage of medical supplies and medications.

Manuel Falcón Hernández, the governor of the province, boasted last Saturday on Facebook about the renovation of the premises of the emergency service at the Provincial Hospital Saturnino Lora, a constructive intervention that, according to the leader, will "provide a more comfortable and functional space for patients in need of medical attention."

The governor pointed out that, together with Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, the first secretary of the Party in Santiago de Cuba, they visited the Southern Children's Hospital, better known as La Colonia, "to supervise the hygiene and sanitation efforts being carried out to prevent arbovirus diseases."

Finally, he reported that they exchanged with workers and patients about the situation of healthcare centers, as well as about the "actions taken to ensure a healthy environment."

However, what the leader did not explain, since he was touring these healthcare centers, are the constant complaints about the hygienic situation in both hospitals.

Recently, the Provincial Hospital Saturnino Lora was criticized for the accumulation of garbage in one of its bathrooms, as well as for clogging in the sanitary services.

A similar situation was reported in La Colonia, where the bad smell of the bathrooms was affecting patients and their families in the emergency room.

The governor also did not explain that the repairs being carried out at the Provincial Hospital do not address the shortage of essential medications and supplies, such as antibiotics and antacids, or the scarcity of disposable gloves. Currently, these are being washed and left to dry to be reused.

A nurse consulted by CiberCuba, who prefers to remain anonymous, explained that currently they are forced to use washed gloves that are not sterilized. She has even seen doctors perform procedures without wearing them due to the lack of this supply in the healthcare center.

There are no cephalosporins or meropenem, two of the most important antibiotics. At the moment, there is also no dipyrone or diclofenac. Gastric protectors are also missing," he noted, pointing out that repairs are important, but so are those drugs.

He also pointed out that the center is plagued by old problems that have yet to be resolved, such as leaks in several rooms and poor air conditioning. These situations are known to the government of the province of Santiago de Cuba, he warned.

Complaints about the shortage of medications and supplies in hospitals are frequent, as well as the precarious conditions in which healthcare facilities throughout the country are found.

Recently, a Cuban shared images of the unhygienic and unhealthy conditions of the facilities at the Dr. Gustavo Aldereguía Lima University General Hospital in Cienfuegos, which, according to his own words, has turned into a "pigsty."

"It is not a landfill, but images of the same room where dengue patients are located at Cienfuegos Hospital, with cockroaches included to add horror," said the administrator of the Facebook group 'Molinos'.

In May of last year, Cuban YouTuber Raisa Zequeira reported a similar situation, sharing with her followers what a day is like at the Provincial Pediatric Hospital in Artemisa, where her four-year-old son was hospitalized.

The images show the deep crisis that the Public Health System in Cuba is going through. In addition to the lack of medications, shortage of medical supplies, and deteriorated hospital infrastructure, the unsanitary conditions of the hospital are also evident.