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The Public Health authorities in Pinar del Río announced a series of measures to sustain medical services amidst the ongoing energy and fuel crisis in Cuba, a situation that now forces the healthcare system to operate under extreme conditions.
Although it is insisted that the priority is to not disrupt care for the most vulnerable patients, the decisions reveal to what extent the accumulated inefficiency of the State has led the sector to operate almost in survival mode.
According to a report from Telepinar, Dr. Sandra Ramírez Guzmán, the director of Health in the province, explained that the set of programs in the sector remains active, but several of them have had to be reorganized in order to reduce energy consumption and fuel expenditure.
The strategy, he said, aims to "optimize" resources in a context where it is no longer possible to ensure the normal functioning of hospitals, polyclinics, and support services.
One of the most significant adjustments affects patients on hemodialysis.
Out of the 181 individuals receiving that treatment in the province, 108 will be admitted in Sandino, Consolación del Sur, and the municipal center to reduce travel from distant areas.
In the case of Pinar del Río, patients will be attended to at the hospital of the Federico Engels Vocational Pre-University Institute, while those presenting any associated illnesses will be admitted to the Abel Santamaría Cuadrado.
Residents of the provincial capital will continue to use the taxi service to attend scheduled sessions.
Ramírez Guzmán clarified that this reorganization responds to the need to save fuel and avoid unnecessary trips in a context where mobility is severely restricted.
In the same vein, the effectiveness of polyclinics and extended urgent care services in the municipalities will be strengthened, with daily monitoring of medical referrals by provincial teams and local specialists to ensure that patients who do not require it are not transferred to the capital of Pinar del Río.
The official also pointed out that resources will be prioritized for urgent and emergency medical care, while community outreach consultations will be conducted only on a biweekly basis.
Emergency surgeries will continue, but elective ones will be postponed, a measure that has already been implemented in other provinces of the country and confirms the decline in the normal functioning of the healthcare system.
The frequency of the Medibus service will also be reduced in the municipalities: from now on, it will operate only three times a week, prioritizing pregnant women and cancer patients.
At the same time, the three blood banks in the province will continue to operate, and donations will continue to take place in the territories as they have been.
Ramírez Guzmán assured that fuel is guaranteed for the generators of all hospitals and for the 12 ambulances operating in Vueltabajo, as well as for any patient transfers to Havana when specialized procedures are needed.
Measures in other provinces
Hospitals are in emergency mode throughout the country, not just in Pinar del Río.
All elective surgeries in Holguín have been suspended, putting thousands of non-urgent procedures on hold. Only emergency and urgent surgeries will be carried out, along with specific cases that pose a threat to the patient's life.
The measure is accompanied by a strict prioritization of resources.
Authorities describe the situation as "extremely complex," with severe restrictions on electricity and transportation necessitating a profound reorganization of services.
Similar decisions were implemented in Matanzas, where the reduction of outpatient consultations and the prioritization of resources for pregnant women, cancer patients, and hemodialysis indicate that medical assistance is operating in survival mode.
The adjustment includes extended shifts for nurses, the transfer of blood banks, and strict control of electrical and transportation resources to sustain vital services.
A government unable to ensure conditions to protect life
The authorities attribute this situation to the escalation of U.S. policy, which mandated the imposition of tariffs on countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba.
But beyond external factors, the current situation reveals a structural problem: a system that, due to a lack of foresight, investment, and efficient management, cannot reliably guarantee basic services such as energy and transportation, which are essential pillars for sustaining healthcare.
What is presented today as "temporary measures" is, in reality, just another sign of a country managed through emergencies.
Public health is holding up with makeshift solutions, reorganizations, and sacrifices from patients and workers, while the Government maintains political control but has lost the ability to ensure essential services regularly: electricity, fuel, and minimum conditions for preserving life.
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