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The journalist from Matanzas, Yirmara Torres Hernández, former president of the Union of Journalists of Cuba (UPEC) in Matanzas, reported an outbreak of arboviral disease that, according to her, affects the entire province, and criticized the official handling of the issue by local media and health authorities.
Matanzas is experiencing a complete outbreak of arboviral disease!! Please, this is not just happening in Cárdenas... it is happening throughout Matanzas... Do not further distort reality or spread misinformation, wrote the communicator in a lengthy post published on Facebook, where she questioned the coverage of the state-run channel TV Yumurí, which reported a situation focused in the municipality of Cárdenas.
The publication discussed a "high incidence of chikungunya" in Cárdenas, with symptoms such as high fever and severe joint pain. However, it was assured that "no deaths or severe cases have been reported," and that "all health areas" have been activated to address the outbreak, despite resource limitations.
In response to that, Yirmara Torres accused: “To exaggerate it as something that only happens in Cárdenas is a disrespect to the people, to all of us who have fallen ill and still suffer the consequences throughout Matanzas.”
The journalist also recalled the information management of the COVID-19 outbreak in the province, stating: “This may not be as serious as the COVID outbreak that resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths in a day in Matanzas. They also tried to hide it until it exploded in their faces... No one told me about it then. I was here, I witnessed it, I lived it.”
Torres was emphatic in rejecting any attempt to hold the citizens responsible for the spread of viruses: “Let's respect each other a bit more!! And they question us for not going to the doctor?? Seriously??? (...) Stop hiding the reality. The people need solutions, not untimely statements, justifications, or band-aids...”
Although he clarified that he has no evidence of deaths from arboviral diseases, he stated that he knows of “people who have been quite unwell” and warned that “there is an epidemic that has affected entire families, nearly whole blocks... almost entire towns.”
In his , he also referred to the lack of resources in the healthcare system and the neglect of key figures in the past fight against these diseases: “The grandfather of my son, Plutarco Roche, a forgotten doctor like so many others, was an epidemiologist in Matanzas, and led campaigns against dengue and others. This doesn't just happen in isolation... we all know that.”
The testimony of Torres adds to a growing number of complaints and reports that warn about the worsening chikungunya outbreak in Matanzas, linked to conditions that favor the proliferation of the Aedes aegypti mosquito: accumulation of garbage, lack of sanitation, power outages, and an overwhelmed healthcare system. The outbreak began in July in the municipality of Perico and has been spreading throughout the province, with testimonies describing entire neighborhoods falling ill, patients confined to bed, and a lack of medication.
The activist Amelia Calzadilla also questioned the official inaction and asked why a health emergency has not been declared. “Children, the elderly, workers, and students are bedridden with severe bone and muscle pain, fatigue, and high fever. What virus is this? How can it be prevented? How is it treated?,” she wrote on social media.
Yirmara Torres concluded her message with a call for critical journalism and professional honesty: “If we are going to inform, let's do it with objectivity... or at least, with professional honesty, as Professor Iraida Calzadilla says,” and recalled the emblematic report from the program Causas y Azares about the COVID-19 outbreak at the Faustino Pérez Hospital by adding: “How much we need an Adonis Subit Lamí right now, with the balls to do real journalism, the uncomfortable kind...”.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Arboviral Outbreak in Matanzas
What is the current situation of the arbovirus outbreak in Matanzas?
The journalist Yirmara Torres Hernández reported that Matanzas is facing a widespread outbreak of arboviruses, affecting the entire province. Despite official reports suggesting that the issue is concentrated in Cárdenas, Torres claims that the situation is much more widespread and serious.
What measures are the authorities taking to control the chikungunya outbreak?
According to official reports, all health areas have been activated to address the outbreak, but resource limitations have hindered an effective response. Furthermore, activist Amelia Calzadilla has questioned why a health emergency has not been declared, given the seriousness of the situation.
What conditions have favored the widespread propagation of arboviruses in Matanzas?
The spread of the outbreak is associated with conditions such as the accumulation of garbage, lack of sanitation, power outages, and an overwhelmed healthcare system. These situations have created a favorable environment for the proliferation of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the vector for chikungunya and other diseases.
How has the population reacted to the government's handling of the outbreak?
The population, represented by voices like that of Yirmara Torres, has expressed dissatisfaction and frustration regarding the government's handling of the outbreak, criticizing the lack of transparency and the inadequacy of preventive and control measures.
What impact does the outbreak of arbovirus have on the daily lives of the residents of Matanzas?
The impact of the outbreak is devastating, forcing entire families to take on caregiver roles and severely affecting the quality of life of the residents, who face the illness without adequate access to medicines and health services.
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