Scandal in Bayamo: Laboratory Microbiology employee stole supplies to resell them

A worker from the Provincial Laboratory of Microbiology in Bayamo, Granma province, was apprehended by agents from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) after being identified as the person responsible for a robbery involving essential sanitary materials needed for the operation of the center.

The information was shared through the profile of Aytana Alama, who published the details of the case on social media, provided by an employee of the institution.

According to the testimony, the detainee stole cotton, surgical gloves, scalpels, and medical cement, essential materials for patient care and laboratory diagnostic work.

"This individual understands the importance of this center, whose goal is to protect the population against infectious and parasitic diseases, and yet chose to steal vital supplies to sell them on the informal market," the cited source reported.

The Provincial Microbiology Laboratory of Bayamo is one of the key institutions in the diagnosis and control of infectious and exotic diseases in the eastern region of the country.

The loss of these resources represents a serious detriment to the healthcare system, which is already struggling due to the lack of materials, medications, and reagents amidst the health crisis that Cuba is experiencing, the official profile emphasized.

The arrested worker allegedly sold the stolen supplies on the black market, where the prices of medical materials have skyrocketed due to chronic shortages in hospitals and pharmacies.

"It is a regrettable fact that reflects not only a lack of ethics but also desperation and the deterioration of the system. The workers themselves are succumbing to corruption to survive," commented a health professional from Bayamo.

According to the publication, agents from the Ministry of the Interior investigated the incident and managed to detain the main suspect, although so far there has been no official statement from MINSAP or the provincial Government regarding the case.

The incident has generated indignation on social media, where users expressed their concern about the insecurity in healthcare facilities and institutional corruption.

"This happens when workers earn 3,000 pesos and have to face misery. I don't justify theft, but hunger and lack of hope are wreaking havoc," an internet user commented.

In recent months, several reports from CiberCuba have documented theft of medications, hospital food, and medical supplies in various provinces across the country, many of which end up being resold in the informal market or through clandestine networks.