Related videos:
The General Directorate of Health of Moa reported the passing of doctor Danny Cisneros De la Cruz, who worked as a nutritionist at the Rolando Monterrey Caballero Polyclinic in that municipality of Holguín province.
In a post on their official Facebook page, the entity deeply regretted the loss of the professional, stating that she "had been experiencing respiratory symptoms that evolved into bronchopneumonia" just days prior, and noted that she arrived at Hospital Guillermo Luis with a case of acute respiratory failure, which is why she was immediately admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
According to the statement, despite the efforts of the medical team and intensive treatment, the doctor suffered a fatal outcome. Public Health added that hematology tests for dengue or other arboviral diseases were conducted, with negative results, and that, at the family's request, an autopsy was not performed.
"The staff at your workplace and all the healthcare workers in the municipality and province join in solidarity with the feelings of family and friends. May he rest in peace," concludes the message from the General Directorate of Health of Moa.
The young professional's passing generated numerous reactions on social media.
Dr. Alexander Jesús Figueredo Izaguirre, a Cuban physician exiled in the United States since 2022, lamented the incident and placed the blame on the deterioration of the healthcare system on the island. In his post, he stated that “it wasn't bronchopneumonia that killed her, it was the dictatorship that has turned hospitals into slow morgues for decades.”
The doctor recalled that many of his colleagues “died without oxygen, without medication, without hope,” and added that the health professionals who survive “are punished for speaking the truth.” He concluded his message with a call for justice: “Enough with martyrs who have stethoscopes. The people don’t need slogans; they need oxygen and freedom.”
Public Health worker Luis Enrique, a resident of Placetas, also reacted, writing on Facebook: “They are killing our health colleagues. And the only culprit is the Castro dictatorship.” The professional referenced the official statement regarding Cisneros's death and claimed that “despite the efforts of the on-call team and intensive treatment, he had a fatal outcome.” In his message, he used the hashtag #MilitaryInterventionForCuba and denounced the conditions under which, according to him, Cuban doctors work.
The passing of Dr. Cisneros occurs amid a national epidemiological alert due to the rise in febrile illnesses and severe dengue cases in the country. According to data from the Ministry of Public Health, Cuba registered over 13,000 cases of fever in one week with an incidence rate of 24.3 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Health authorities warned about the active circulation of dengue and chikungunya, although the tests conducted on the professional from Moa were negative for these diseases. The increase in cases has led to strengthened fumigation and vector control campaigns, while hospitals and polyclinics face resource limitations in several provinces.
The provinces with highest epidemiological complexity are Guantánamo, Matanzas, Ciego de Ávila, Havana, and Cienfuegos, where there has been an increase in the number of critical and hospitalized patients due to the rise of dengue and other arboviruses.
The epidemiological situation is also unfolding in a climate of significant social decline. On social media, citizens like Irina Diéguez Toledo have shared testimonies that reflect the daily life of Cubans amidst scarcity, illness, and fear. In a text recently circulated, Diéguez described scenes from her neighborhood where "everyone is falling ill among mountains of garbage and sewage, without ambulance services or medicine," and stated that "we grapple with what to eat and how to care for the sick."
The Cuban medical community and numerous social media users have expressed their sorrow over the death of Dr. Danny Cisneros De la Cruz, sending condolences to his family, colleagues, and friends.
Filed under: