Related videos:
In the midst of the rise of diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and oropouche, Cubans continue to be one of the main supports for their families on the island, sending from the United States what is most scarce: medicines and mosquito nets.
According to a report from Telemundo 51, shipping agencies in Miami are experiencing a significant increase in demand for these basic items.
“Ahora mismo lo que más se está mandando son medicinas y mosquiteros para protegerse del mosquito que transmite la enfermedad”, explicó un trabajador de una de estas agencias al canal local.
Cuban exiles are looking for ways to send to Cuba everything that the regime does not guarantee, a situation that, while not new, has increased in recent weeks.
In Cuba, state pharmacies and hospitals remain understocked, and prices in the informal market are unaffordable for most.
The health crisis has intensified with the spread of several viruses transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
The Deputy Minister of Public Health, Carilda Peña, acknowledged that the first outbreak of chikungunya was detected in the municipality of Perico, Matanzas, and confirmed three deaths associated.
At the same time, the regime has acknowledged that at least nine viruses are circulating in the country, including dengue and oropouche, while hospitals are collapsing and sanitary conditions are worsening more and more.
"Very bad," is how a Cuban identified as María Margarita described the situation upon her recent arrival in Miami from Havana, one of the provinces at the epicenter of the outbreak.
Other travelers interviewed by Telemundo 51 reported experiencing symptoms of chikungunya, such as high fever, joint pain, and loss of appetite.
In contrast to the aid arriving from abroad, health authorities recommend domestic solutions.
“People burn citrus peels that repel the vector and also protect health,” said Deputy Minister Peña, in a statement that has generated criticism for reflecting the precariousness of the Cuban healthcare system.
The epidemiological situation is worsening in a country where accumulated garbage, the collapse of infrastructure, and a shortage of medical supplies are driving the spread of diseases.
Meanwhile, from Miami and other cities in the United States, Cubans continue to send what has become a luxury in their homeland: medicines, mosquito nets, and hope.
Filed under: