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A Cuban doctor who dedicated years of his life to caring for patients is now virtually immobilized and seeking public assistance to undergo surgery.
The case of doctor Ulices Zamora Reyes, a resident of Manzanillo, has gone viral on social media following his desperate plea to obtain a hip prosthesis that he has needed for over a decade.
Zamora Reyes suffers from hip coxarthrosis, a degenerative disease that deteriorates the joint and causes intense pain that severely limits mobility.
He reported that he was diagnosed in 2013 and has since required surgery with a prosthesis to restore his quality of life.
Despite his advanced training and commitment to public health, including a diploma in intensive care, Dr. Zamora Reyes claims that the Cuban health system has turned its back on him all these years.
As the doctor himself points out, what he has received is what "in good Cuban is called peloteo," a bureaucracy that has left him practically immobilized, in constant pain, and unable to sleep or lead a normal life.
Several colleagues and users on social media have made their call for help go viral, denouncing the health crisis the country is experiencing.
Pedro Rafael Casado Méndez, Ulices' classmate, recalled that when they graduated in 2009, the State called for a massive training program in intensive care, and his friend stepped forward.
"The SNS needed this training, and he with all his attitude and aptitude answered the call, regardless of his inclination towards another specialty," he clarified on Facebook.
Casado Méndez emphasized the "huge lie they want to export" by talking about Cuba as a health power with universal coverage. "A doctor who fulfilled their duties to the Revolution is today literally abandoned by the Revolution."
For his part, independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada emphasized the seriousness of the situation.
"This case brings back to the forefront the dramatic reality faced by many Cubans, including healthcare professionals, who, despite dedicating their lives to saving others, end up confronting illnesses alone that the system itself is unable to address," she stated on her Facebook.
Similarly, Alexander Jesús Figueredo Izaguirre emphasized that his colleague is not asking for money for luxuries; he simply wants to be able to undergo surgery and return to living without pain.
Figueredo Izaguirre warned that the situation is not only individual but also structural: "When a Cuban doctor has to ask for help to be able to walk... something very deep is broken in our country."
"If you can help, provide guidance, share medical information, contacts for a prosthesis or surgery, please do so. Sometimes sharing a post can change a life," he stated.
Those who wish to contact Dr. Ulices Zamora Reyes for guidance or information about his surgery can do so via his WhatsApp number: +53 52500060.
His case reflects the inefficiency and neglect of the government in the healthcare sector, where the deterioration of hospitals, the lack of medications, the scarcity of supplies, and recurrent power outages delay consultations and medical procedures.
Meanwhile, the health personnel, exhausted and neglected, continue to face the same shortages, which has led many professionals to leave the country.
The doctor's appeal for help has become a symbol of the health crisis in Cuba, and the viral spread of his message highlights the urgency for real reforms and immediate attention for the professionals who sustain the healthcare system.
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