The Cuban regime announced a reduction in medical services across the country, with a series of radical measures aimed at preventing the collapse of the sector amid the current fuel crisis.
The Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, explained the new measures during an appearance on national television, where he openly acknowledged the seriousness of the healthcare system situation and promised that no patient would be left untreated.
"Surgical activity levels will decrease. Surgical procedures are demanding on electricity," the minister stated, emphasizing that it's not just about energy consumption, but also about meeting the minimum safety conditions for patients.
In their opinion, maintaining the usual pace of surgeries "requires more therapy beds, more observation beds," something that the system cannot currently ensure in a stable manner.
"Due to security concerns, we must allow the hospitals to operate and support those surgeries that cannot be postponed," he said.
The Public Health official reported that the Government has begun to implement "measures for the organization and rationalization of resources that encompass various areas of the health sector."
He insisted that they do not seek to "relinquish the principles that have historically characterized the system," but rather to "significantly preserve essential services."
However, he acknowledged that "this is not an easy stage" and that the healthcare system is going through "complex moments" due to the low availability of resources.
Among the announced decisions is the reduction of staff in institutions, the decrease in the mobility of workers and patients, and the reorganization of services in outpatient clinics that do not have electrical support.
Regarding the ambulances, he ensured that fuel is guaranteed for special cases, but he reminded that those vehicles are insufficient in the country.
Portal Miranda admitted that “the shortages of medications are a reality”, and that these deficiencies “not only directly impact the population, but also complicate the system.”
She assured that priorities will remain focused on programs such as maternal and child health, cancer patients, individuals with terminal illnesses, and those whose lives depend on medical equipment.
Regarding the blackouts, the minister was explicit in linking them to the reduction of services: "Almost all diagnostic tools require electrical support, so we need to look at the times when we can use them," and he urged doctors to continue working with clinical diagnoses and to prioritize only the "urgent" tests.
In the case of surgeries, he emphasized that only "urgent, emergency, or non-deferrable conditions" will be maintained.
Finally, Portal Miranda requested the understanding of the population and promised to “explain with transparency” every decision, while the regime is relying on measures such as natural medicine, telemedicine, and reducing hospital stays, in a context where the minister himself acknowledged that "the underlying problems will not be resolved."
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