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The 50 ambulances purchased by the Cuban regime from China recently to strengthen the ailing healthcare system continue to be distributed: 3 to Cienfuegos and one to the municipality of Jiguaní, Granma.
According to the report from the official press, the new ambulance arrived in Jiguaní on Saturday, “purchased by the Ministry of Public Health with funds from the state budget.”
"The equipment will be put into service in the coming days, once the registration and commissioning processes are completed," they specified.
Likewise, on Saturday, local news in Cienfuegos reported, without providing further details, about the allocation of 3 units.
A few days earlier, three ambulances had been assigned in Matanzas to the territorial bases of Cárdenas, Matanzas, and Jovellanos, an area where the availability and technical condition of the ambulance fleet have been a recurring issue.
With the incorporation, there are only 16 operational ambulances in the province, out of the 54 needed.
Another group is undergoing repairs in preparation for its subsequent commissioning, which —according to the provincial director of Health, Yamira López García— should increase the "technical availability coefficient."
Dr. López García explained that Matanzas and Cárdenas cover areas of high demand.
Purchase of ambulances
On Monday, the Minister of Transport of Cuba, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, announced the arrival in the country of 50 new ambulances purchased by the Ministry of Public Health, as part of a program aimed at improving emergency medical services.
In a post on his profile, Rodríguez Dávila announced that the ambulances have arrived on the island and that "they will be put into service over the next few days, once the start-up work being carried out by the specialists and technicians from the supplier, MCV Comercial S.A., for our transport system is completed.”
The minister explained that these are “modern vehicles, in accordance with international standards for this type of service, equipped with basic tools and facilities for the installation of other diagnostic and resuscitation equipment.”
According to the head of MITRANS, the ambulances “have a good range, are energy efficient, and are supported by a maintenance service that ensures their operation.”
The vehicles are from the Foton brand, a Chinese company that is part of the BAIC (Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co.) automotive group, one of the largest manufacturers of commercial vehicles in China.
Rodríguez Dávila added that "with the inclusion of these medical transport means in the national emergency system, while it would not yet cover the entire demand, it would represent another step forward for the health of our people in the current complex situation."
The acquisition comes after years during which most of the ambulances integrated into the Cuban healthcare system were sourced from foreign donations. Last December, Russia donated three modern ambulances intended for Havana, Matanzas, and Santiago de Cuba, as part of bilateral cooperation.
The lack of medical vehicles has been one of the main complaints from healthcare staff and the public. In November 2025, CiberCuba reported that in response to the transportation crisis, ETECSA vehicles were being used as makeshift ambulances and hearses.
In recent years, numerous Cubans have reported prolonged delays in the arrival of ambulances, as well as accidents and mechanical failures in the vehicles that are still in service. The current purchase represents one of the few known state acquisitions for this purpose, in contrast to the frequent purchases of buses and cars for tourism and other state entities.
So far, the authorities have not specified the amount of the investment or the territorial distribution of the new ambulances.
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