A gigantic makeshift landfill stretches around the Hermanos Ameijeiras hospital, one of the most emblematic healthcare centers in Havana, as shown in a recent video by Cuban content creator Eddy Ceballos, known for his satirical series Despingovery Channel.
The images captured by the comedian show mountains of solid waste, rubble, and remnants of household garbage piled up in the middle of the public street, right by the hospital, in an area he ironically refers to as an "outdoor microbiology laboratory."
With his characteristic documentary narrator style, Ceballos describes the place as an "incubator of pathogens" that, rather than being a scientific area, poses a health risk to patients, doctors, and local residents.
Among the rubble, remnants of wood, plastics, rusty metals, mattresses, and decaying trash create an unsanitary landscape that contrasts sharply with the imposing facade of the hospital, inaugurated in 1982 and considered for decades a symbol of public health in Cuba.
This episode is part of the viral series Despingovery Channel, where Ceballos turns the urban problems of Havana into supposedly “natural wonders” narrated with dark humor. In previous installments, the comedian had depicted potholes, architectural ruins, and debris that he described as “despingological treasures.”
The accumulation of trash in Havana has been a recurring complaint among its residents, worsened by the lack of collection equipment, fuel, and municipal management. However, the issue becomes more significant when it occurs in front of a hospital that should ensure minimum hygiene conditions.
The video, which is already widely circulated on social media, combines satire and social critique, highlighting the urban decay and health risks facing the Cuban capital.
Ameijeiras Hospital affirms that Cuba now has a "medicine of excellence."
While mountains of garbage are piling up outside the Hermanos Ameijeiras hospital, the institution recently celebrated the 99th anniversary of the birth of the dictator Fidel Castro with an event in its Otolaryngology Department, where it praised the deceased dictator as the architect of the “excellence in medicine” that supposedly distinguishes the Island today.
On social media, the medical center shared a message attributing to Castro a "humanist legacy" and called to honor his "eternal call to serve with love and dedication."
These statements contrast with the reality faced daily by patients and doctors in Cuba, where there are numerous reports of shortages of medications, basic supplies, and hygienic conditions.
The Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, acknowledged in July before members of the National Assembly that the healthcare system is facing an unprecedented structural crisis, with coverage of barely 30% of the basic medication list and widespread deterioration of hospitals.
In this context, Ameijeiras' speech aligns with the regime's propaganda strategy of exploiting anniversaries to glorify Fidel Castro, while ignoring the collapse of public health on the island, where patients must bring their own sutures and antibiotics for surgery and face the constant risk of hospital-acquired infections.
Extended health crisis: Cuban hospitals surrounded by garbage and unsanitary conditions
The situation at the Hermanos Ameijeiras hospital is not an isolated case. In recent weeks, reports have increased regarding the accumulation of waste and the lack of hygiene in medical facilities across different provinces of the country.
In Güines, Mayabeque, residents reported that the garbage remained uncollected for almost a month at the Manuel Piti Fajardo Maternal and Child Hospital. Images shared on social media showed overflowing containers around the facility, posing a direct risk to mothers and newborns.
A similar situation was reported in Holguín in March 2022, where citizens complained about the existence of a giant dump near the Provincial Hospital. Pressure on social media forced state trucks to remove some of the waste, although the practice of accumulating trash in urban areas remains commonplace.
Even pediatric hospitals, such as Pedro Borrás in Havana, have been reported for being surrounded by mountains of garbage and stench that seep into the wards, endangering hospitalized children.
Activists warn that these conditions facilitate the spread of epidemics such as dengue, leptospirosis, and other diseases that the regime tries to conceal.
These episodes reflect a widespread health crisis where, beyond the official propaganda, the reality in Cuban hospitals is one of neglect, unsanitary conditions, and constant danger for patients and medical staff.
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