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The Cuban regime reaffirmed on Tuesday before the UN its commitment to the so-called international medical cooperation, despite the internal collapse of the healthcare system on the island that affects millions of Cubans daily.
During his intervention at a session of the international body, Yuri Gala, Chargé d'Affaires of the Cuban Mission to the UN, emphasized that more than 605,000 health collaborators have been sent to 165 countries in recent decades. According to Gala, these missions represent a "genuine example of solidarity and humanism."
The diplomat also lashed out at the United States, holding the embargo and Cuba's inclusion on the list of state sponsors of terrorism responsible for "severely affecting the right to health" of Cubans.
However, the official narrative was heavily questioned by hundreds of citizens on social media, particularly in a post from the state media Cubadebate on Facebook, where critical comments regarding the contrast between the propaganda discourse and the reality on the island abounded.
How sad it is to hear this type of news when we, the ordinary Cubans, are suffering so many problems and difficulties with the so-called 'public' health... Extremely expensive medicines in hospitals, a shortage of doctors, and terrible conditions, commented a user.
Other users reported the shortage of specialists in hospitals and the need to “align all the planets” to get a medical appointment in Cuba. “And why don't we help ourselves, there are hardly any specialists in the hospitals,” wrote another outraged user.
Critics also pointed directly to the political and economic nature of medical missions. “International medical cooperation only pursues political ends and the quest for foreign currency. Cuban health is in crisis,” stated an internet user, reflecting the widespread sentiment of a citizenry exhausted by the precariousness of the healthcare system.
Many pointed out that the resources generated by these missions do not translate into improvements for Cuban doctors or the people. “They charge millions for that aid, millions that the people neither the doctors see. The Cuban healthcare system is destroyed,” commented a user, who denounced that the money ends up in the pockets of the ruling elite.
Amid one of the deepest health crises Cuba has faced in decades, citizens are demanding less propaganda and more concrete solutions. “Assist the people with doctors in every clinic, medications for chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart conditions, antibiotics, medical supplies...,” stated one of the most supported comments.
The popular response once again highlighted the disconnect between the official discourse of the regime and the actual needs of the population, which is suffering from the progressive deterioration of a healthcare system that was once one of the pillars of legitimacy of the Cuban model.
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