Cuban woman dies due to alleged medical negligence in Camagüey: "They said it was stress or nerves."

A Cuban woman passed away this Tuesday at the Military Hospital of Camagüey due to a series of complications caused by alleged medical negligence, as reported by independent journalist José Luis Tan Estrada on his social media.

María Acela Pérez de Corcho Fernández, 69 years old, was admitted to the hospital a month ago with symptoms of persistent fever, severe pain, and difficulty breathing.

"Only a couple of preliminary tests were conducted, which revealed a case of anemia," the woman's daughter told Tan.

The woman received blood transfusions and underwent a test to rule out leukemia, which came back negative but revealed a deficiency in vitamin B12.

However, the doctors did not conduct any further tests or refer her to a specialist to rule out other possible causes.

Despite the fever and pain, as well as the results of an X-ray that showed signs of acute bronchopneumonia, the doctors informed Pérez's daughter that the symptoms "were nervous and did not require further medical attention."

The elderly woman was discharged "without follow-up or treatment plan," but on Tuesday, June 10, she was readmitted to the hospital due to a worsening condition.

There, the parameters were altered and he suffered a respiratory arrest. Shortly after, he passed away.

The Pérez family cries out for justice and denounces the negligence that led to the woman's death.

Hundreds of internet users also condemned the incident, and some shared their experiences at the Camagüey military hospital.

A person commented that in December of last year, they took their mother there after the elderly woman urinated and defecated. Although the tests did not show any problems, the woman passed away.

"Supposedly she went into cardiac arrest and suffered a heart attack. A month later, when I collected the results of the autopsy, according to the summary, she had been in cardiac arrest for 3 days. And who am I going to claim against if I'm not going to have her back? They will justify everything. Who pays for perhaps their wrongdoing?" she revealed.

In the midst of a severe shortage of resources, specialized personnel, and equipment, cases of medical negligence have emerged in the country.

Last month, a mother reported that her son died at the children's hospital in Santa Clara due to alleged medical negligence. The doctors downplayed the child's severe symptoms, incorrectly attributing them to a cold, when in fact he was suffering from fulminant meningoencephalitis.

Shortly after, it was reported that a young woman was a victim of medical negligence at the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Provincial Hospital in Bayamo, where a poorly executed curettage procedure caused her a perforation and internal bleeding, resulting in a total hysterectomy that prevents her from having children in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions about Medical Negligence in Cuba