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A total of 368 medications out of the 636 included in the essential medicine list of the National Health System are currently unavailable in Villa Clara, impacting all pharmacological families and necessitating the prioritization of available resources.
The information was provided on the provincial radio station by Luis Alberto Gómez, director of the Medicine Marketing Company in the province, who stated that the priority is to promptly ensure the availability of essential medications for the treatment of seriously ill patients in hospitals and polyclinics, as well as products intended for individuals with hematological diseases and those undergoing hemodialysis.
The executive announced that raw materials are already in the country to begin the production of more than 14 cytostatics for oncology patients.
It was also confirmed that four types of insulin for insulin-dependent diabetics are distributed through the pharmacy network, and it was announced that the production of lisinopril in Cuba should soon be resumed.
For his part, Dr. Víctor Cañizares Pérez, head of the Department of Medications and Medical Technologies of the Provincial Directorate of Public Health, explained that antibiotics in ampoules and tablets, due to their low availability, are concentrated in hospitals, a measure that highlights the shortage of medications in the area.
Marilé Jiménez Torres, general director of the Pharmacy and Optical Company in Villa Clara, stated that there are no closed units and that pharmacies providing service 24 hours a day remain operational, while the others operate from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon, with extended hours on days when medications arrive.
He acknowledged that many establishments operate with just one employee due to the lack of workers associated with low wages.
Authorities also reported that the lack of hypochlorite in Placetas, Sagua la Grande, and Corralillo is expected to be resolved in the short term, although the crisis in optometry continues with no immediate prospects for a solution.
There are also persistent limitations with supplies, disposable materials, and alcohol for the production of natural medicine.
In the midst of the energy crisis the country is facing, Gómez indicated that alternatives are being sought to transport raw materials and finished products from ports, airports, and industries to provincial warehouses. He pointed out that in Villa Clara they have two electric vehicles and available fuel to distribute medications, prioritizing hospitals, where, he stated, supply cycles for critically ill patients are being maintained.
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