The governor of Santiago de Cuba, Manuel Falcón Hernández, stated that there are no plans to close or limit hospitals in the province, although he acknowledged that services could be affected at certain times due to the energy crisis and lack of fuel.
In statements released in a video posted on social media, the official stated: “As of now, we do not plan to limit any hospital.”
"Everyone will provide services, all the services that are offered, of course with some limitations," he added.
Falcón Hernández explained that the main difficulty is related to power outages and the fuel needed for the generators. "If there is a power outage while the generator is running, the fuel we have is limited," he noted.
The governor insisted that hospital services will not be halted. “We are not going to stop any service from any hospital; we might reduce them,” he said.
As an example, he mentioned that recently "a hospital that serves our pregnant women, the Western Maternity Hospital, woke up without fuel in the generator, and later it had to be brought." In those cases, he explained, if a blackout occurs, certain non-urgent tests or procedures could be postponed.
"There is a service, an analysis that is not urgent, that can wait; well, we will have to wait a little bit, and we will explain the situation to the population," he stated, while urging that the situation be explained directly to the patients: "We need to go where the people are, to talk, to explain; look, please wait a little bit, it will be just a little later."
Part of his intervention was also shared in another reel posted on Facebook, where he reiterated that the priority is to maintain hospital care amid the current energy contingency.
The statements come in a national context marked by fuel shortages and a lack of medical supplies. Days prior, the Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, publicly acknowledged that the Government will not be able to resolve the shortage of resources in the healthcare system in the short term.
During a appearance on national television, the head of the sector admitted, “We are not going to solve the resource problems,” and explained a package of measures focused on “organization and rationalization” to sustain basic services. Among these measures are the reorganization of services in centers with insufficient electrical support, the reduction of surgical activity to urgent cases, and prioritization of the maternal and child health and oncology programs, as detailed in previously published information.
In Santiago, the official message generated numerous reactions on social media. Several users questioned the apparent contradiction between not "limiting" hospitals and acknowledging "limitations" in services. "They won’t limit them, but they will be limited," wrote one internet user. Another commented, "They won’t limit them, but they will be limited."
Criticism was also repeated, such as “Health cannot wait,” along with questions about what would happen if the electricity service is interrupted during a surgery. Other comments demanded solutions related to the transportation of healthcare staff, medical salaries, the availability of supplies, and the hygiene conditions in hospitals.
In contrast, some messages expressed support for provincial authorities and confidence that the province will be able to maintain essential services despite the challenges.
Amid prolonged blackouts and fuel shortages, the Cuban healthcare system is undergoing a phase of adjustments and prioritizations. While authorities assure that hospitals will remain open, they acknowledge that certain services may be reduced or reorganized depending on the current energy conditions.
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