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A donation of medications and food intended for neonatal care was delivered at the José Ramón López Tabrane Maternal Hospital in the province of Matanzas, as part of strengthening the ties between that Cuban province and the Russian city of Saint Petersburg.
The event was led by the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) in Matanzas, Mario Sabines Lorenzo, and the provincial governor, Marieta Poey Zamora, who stated that the delivery will directly benefit 29 newborns being cared for in the Neonatology unit of the center, according to a post by the Girón newspaper on Facebook .
According to Dr. Julio E. Hernández Sánchez, director of Medical Assistance in Matanzas, the donations include “parenteral nutrition, essential nutrients administered intravenously for malnourished neonates in intensive care; central venous catheters, and broad-spectrum antibiotics such as vancomycin and amikacin,” medications deemed vital for treating severe bacterial infections in newborns.
According to local media, the gesture is part of the cooperation commitments established during the official visit of the governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Dmitrievich Beglov, at the end of November. During his stay, Beglov participated in meetings with Matanzas authorities, which discussed projects for economic, cultural, and educational collaboration, as well as the increase of direct flights between Russia and Varadero.
As part of that visit, the Russian official also presented the ownership certificate for an ambulance equipped for the province's hospital services and attended the Dialogue of Cultures gala, held at the Sauto Theater to commemorate the ties between both peoples.
The first secretary of the PCC in Matanzas, Sabines Lorenzo, emphasized that the gesture "is a direct result of the brotherhood and the recent visit of Governor Beglov," and expressed gratitude for the contribution, which he deemed humanitarian.
The delivery strengthens bilateral cooperation in a context marked by a shortage of medical supplies on the island. In recent years, Russia has made multiple donations of food and basic products to Cuba. In June 2025, Moscow sent 469 tons of sunflower oil through the World Food Programme, “as part of its collaboration with the Cuban people amid the food crisis,” according to the Russian embassy in Havana.
These repeated deliveries of humanitarian assistance have been presented by Cuban authorities as demonstrations of friendship and solidarity, although they also highlight the country's dependence on foreign aid to meet basic needs in essential sectors such as health and food.
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