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The Cuban regime again blamed the United States for the health crisis on the Island, this time claiming that more than 32,000 pregnant women would be at risk due to the fuel shortage.
In a note published by the state-run newspaper Granma, the Ministry of Public Health stated that around 32,880 pregnant women will face “additional risks” due to the limitations arising from the so-called “energy blockade,” which, according to the official version, affects the performance of obstetric ultrasounds, the care of cases of severe maternal morbidity, and the mobility of essential medical services.
The publication also states that more than 61,000 children under one year old could be affected by the scarcity of resources, in a context it describes as a “brutal economic war” against Cuba.
The government assures that the lack of fuel limits everything from childhood vaccinations to care for cancer patients and individuals with chronic illnesses, and warns of a possible increase in mortality in the country.
However, while the official discourse targets Washington exclusively, citizen complaints continue to pile up within the Island, exposing negligence, hospital neglect, and reprisals against those who speak out.
Last December, the young Yurisnel Domenech Atencio reported that his wife and 14 other pregnant women had been unable to get ultrasounds at the Media Luna hospital in Granma for over two weeks, precisely due to a lack of fuel to power the electric plant. According to his testimony, fuel became available immediately when it was necessary to transport people to a political event in Cinco Palmas.
Hours after posting the video on social media, he was summoned and interrogated by State Security agents, who accused him of "instigating violence," despite the fact that he made no such call. They issued a warning statement, and, as he reported, they showed no interest in the situation of pregnant women, but instead focused on silencing his complaint.
The contrast between the official discourse and the reality of hospital conditions has also been evident in Santiago de Cuba, where recently images of a cockroach infestation in the bathroom of the delivery room at the Juan Bruno Zayas Clinical Surgical Hospital were circulated. The photographs and videos showed insects on the walls, doors, and areas near the toilet, in a space designated for new mothers.
Relatives of patients reported the risk of infections, accumulated dirt, and institutional neglect in a facility that already has a history of complaints regarding unsanitary conditions.
Maternal and child health has historically been one of the propaganda pillars of the Cuban system. However, the visible deterioration of hospitals, the lack of supplies, power outages, and the shortage of fuel are part of a structural crisis that has been ongoing for years, which many Cubans also attribute to internal management issues, corruption, and political priorities.
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