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The Health Minister of the Cuban regime José Ángel Portal Miranda celebrated Pharmacist Day this Saturday in a country that ironically faces a shortage of medicines amidst an epidemiological crisis.
“On Pharmaceutical Worker Day in Cuba, we at MINSAP honor those who, even amidst daily challenges, carry out an essential role for the National Health System. Thank you for the commitment with which you undertake each day,” the official wrote on X.
In the midst of an arbovirus epidemic affecting Cuba, mainly dengue and chikungunya, and faced with a shortage of medications, the regime has felt the need to recommend alternative solutions such as preparing homemade rehydration solutions due to the inability to guarantee basic medication.
This Friday, the minister acknowledged the "national epidemiological situation" and stated that there must be an emphasis on "clinical-epidemiological surveillance in light of the circulation of various viruses" and "the evolution of severe and critical patients in different centers."
Portal Miranda, who has been criticized for his low profile in recent weeks, warned that medical attention in any circumstance depends on the organization and problem-solving capacity of hospitals and polyclinics, as well as the response of emergency services in the affected areas.
According to official data from Friday, 31,513 people have been diagnosed with suspected chikungunya, a disease transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the same vector as dengue. The virus is currently circulating in 14 provinces, 99 municipalities, and 164 health areas.
A total of 5,713 patients are currently hospitalized with suspected chikungunya, of which 5,607 are at home and the rest in healthcare institutions.
In addition, 95 people are in intensive care units, 77 in serious condition and 18 in critical condition. Among the serious patients, 63 are under 18 years old, and among the critical cases, 16 are children.
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