A Cuban woman, mother of two children, who showed symptoms of dengue, died in Havana after not receiving adequate medical attention, according to a source close to the deceased who reported it on Facebook.
"I write with the arguments that she was taken twice by the neighbors to the nearest polyclinic, still vomiting blood, with a fever, not eating anything, and with severe headaches. They send her back home because they say there are no medicines," wrote user Raysa Juan Delgado on the mentioned social network.
However, upon arriving at her home, the woman - identified as Days María Jiménez - lost her balance, fell to the ground, and hit her head, which complicated her clinical situation.
According to the testimony, she was taken back to the La Benéfica (Miguel Enríquez) hospital, but "there were no nurses or doctors to attend to her, and when the neighbor entered, she was already dead."
The source reported that the autopsy shows "a blow to the head" as the cause of death.
"I am perfectly aware of the shortage of medications, but not the shortage of empathy, the kind that cannot be bought or acquired anywhere, and that also heals. In medicine, a second is essential to save a life," the complainant lamented.
He added that even after her death, the forensic staff did not appear. The plan was for her to be cremated at noon, and still at 6:30 p.m. there was no transportation or any information.
The complainant bitterly recalled that this is not the first time she has experienced a tragedy of this kind.
"Who pays for this life and that of my niece, who also died from dengue due to the same story?" she asked, indicating that both losses are due to a chain of negligence and a healthcare system in crisis.
Despite the criticism, he also acknowledged that many Cuban doctors do their best to fulfill their duty, working with the few resources available to them.
"I know many doctors who have great responsibility in their profession and, above all, love for it, because without love for what you do, nothing goes well. They have done the impossible with the little they have to save lives and perform magic," he pointed out.
The message concluded with a painful reminder that healthcare professionals should also put themselves in the patient's shoes, as one day they might find themselves in the same situation.
As of the closure of this note, there are no other details about the case, which evidences once again not only the crisis of the Cuban healthcare system but also the severity of the dengue epidemic that is ravaging the country.
This Wednesday, the national director of Epidemiology of MINSAP, Francisco Durán García, affirmed that dengue and Oropouche fever continue to impact the Cuban population due to the high presence of mosquitoes and midges.
Durán García indicated that at least 17,000 patients are currently hospitalized for dengue in Cuba, but most are at home.
The expert said that there are many Cubans also admitted to intensive care units due to the illness, but did not provide an exact number.
According to the latest televised report, issued on October 16, there is dengue in 14 provinces of the island, while Oropouche is present in all 15 provinces.
Last week, Durán had already stated that dengue and Oropouche fever remained unresolved on the island: "The situation is still the same," he summarized at that time.
In providing an update on the epidemiological situation on the island, the expert noted that both arboviruses remain active in the country, where garbage floods the streets and there are no resources to fumigate against mosquitoes.
This critical situation is compounded by the shortage of sanitary supplies and all kinds of resources in the country, which often leads to complaints of negligence or medical neglect, as in the aforementioned case.
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