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The Union of Military Industries of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) delivered a donation of 100 mattresses to the Juan Bruno Zayas Clinical Surgical Hospital in Santiago de Cuba, with the aim of completing a total of 800 beds and “improving the conditions of the center,” as reported by official media such as the Cuban News Agency and the newspaper Sierra Maestra.
The event took place on December 3, during the celebrations for Latin American Medicine Day and the centenary of Fidel Castro. Attending were Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, first secretary of the Communist Party in the province; Manuel Falcón Hernández, governor of Santiago de Cuba; and Annia Poblador Serguera, a member of the Provincial Bureau of the PCC, along with Dr. Joaquín López González, acting director of the hospital.
"Today is a special day for us. We received this donation, which means 100 more beds for our patients, including high-risk pregnant women and febrile cases," stated López González, who expressed gratitude for the collaboration of over 50 individuals from various organizations in the cleaning and recovery of areas within the center.
The first colonel Abel Martínez Torres, director of the Military Industries company, explained that the delivery is part of the “recognition of the Santiago de Cuba people following the disaster caused by Hurricane Melissa” and aims to “support the restoration of services.”
Photographs shared by TV Santiago and by the hospital's own profile show military personnel and workers unloading mattresses alongside commemorative signs reading “100 years with Fidel.”
The social media post sparked mixed opinions among users. Some expressed gratitude for the help, while others voiced distrust and questioned the political motives behind the act.
"Please, they keep raining lies and more lies; there are no medications in any hospital, they stole everything and sell it on the street as if it were peanuts," commented a user.
Another person pointed out: "That was for those affected by the cyclone, not for redecorating the hospital. Under communism, that responsibility belongs to the government, proving that the system doesn’t work."
Among the criticisms, it was also noted: “Right now they're dealing with bedbugs. They should replace all of them because the FAR has the resources for that and much more.”
Some messages, on the other hand, celebrated the gesture: “Look how nice, at least those hospitalized will have a decent bed to rest their aches.”
Others recalled the fundamental shortcomings in the healthcare system: "But be careful that they don't steal it and buy mops and brooms to clean the halls and bathrooms."
The Juan Bruno Zayas hospital has recently been the subject of public complaints regarding unsanitary conditions, with images showing broken bathrooms, flooded hallways, and accumulated trash, a situation that patients and their families described as a risk to the health of the most vulnerable patients.
The contrast between these conditions and the delivery of mattresses highlights the structural deficiencies of the Cuban healthcare system, where official donations often coincide with political events and do not always address the most urgent needs of patients and workers.
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