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The social crisis in Cuba presents alarming images. A reader from CiberCuba sent a letter to our editorial team with a complaint and a photograph taken in front of the Teatro Piti Fajardo, part of the Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico Comandante Manuel Fajardo in Havana.
In the image, several people are seen sleeping on the ground, outdoors. They are presumably awaiting specialized medical attention or supporting the recovery of a hospitalized patient.
According to the received testimony, "it could be patients from other provinces" who have traveled to the capital for consultations, examinations, or surgical procedures.
"The heads of the hospital don't care about having people like this in front of their workplace; at least a little solidarity could exist," says the text.
Due to the lack of efficient transportation and the inability to afford accommodation in Havana—where prices far exceed the average salary in Cuban pesos (CUP)—many patients, or their family members, have no choice but to spend the night outside the hospital.
"The fate they have to endure is sleeping on the floor, with the risk of getting even more ill than they already are," laments the whistleblower.
“Such is Cuba. It would be good for them to justify it on Con Filo,” he said, referring to the government program that criticizes the reports of independent Cuban media and accuses them of lying about the reality of the country.
The scene of people sleeping on the floor not only reflects the deterioration of the national health system, which is unable to guarantee minimum conditions for waiting and accommodation for patients, but also the collapse of interprovincial transportation, forcing many Cubans to travel days in advance to secure a medical appointment.
While the official narrative insists on the “healthcare achievements,” the reality shows citizens sleeping on the streets to exercise a basic right: to receive medical attention.
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