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A Cuban mother residing in Puerto Padre, Las Tunas province, reported on Facebook that provincial authorities are threatening to suspend the prioritized taxi service for hemodialysis patients, while local leaders have unrestricted access to fuel that is denied to the most vulnerable sick individuals.
The complaint, published by a user identified as Yolyta Rodrig —whose son is a patient at the hemodialysis service of the General Hospital Guillermo Domínguez López— describes a crisis that has been affecting the transportation of these patients in the municipality for about two months.
"The saddest part of all this is that just now, when it's being claimed on social media, television, and various mass communication outlets that our country has had a slight improvement in fuel availability, we are once again threatened with the suspension of prioritized taxi service, which is supposedly a Program of the Revolution," wrote the affected individual.
The provincial mayor of Las Tunas has suggested the solution of admitting patients directly into the hospital, an alternative that the complainant deems unviable: "What kind of mindset believes that a hospital with no beds, no cleanliness, no food, no nurses, no doctors, no cleaning staff, and certainly no empathy or care for patients can accept a kidney patient with the health conditions they typically present?"
Hemodialysis patients rely on regular sessions to cleanse their blood, as their kidneys are not functioning. Chronic fatigue, anemia, and the buildup of toxins hinder their mobility. Without transportation, their lives are directly at risk.
In addition to the fuel crisis, the mother reports that the hemodialysis service at the hospital is facing a lack of medications and broken machines, a shortage of nurses, cleaning assistants, and rehabilitation staff.
"These patients are always at risk, as they depend on a machine to clean their blood, machines that are mostly broken because none of you care about the lives of our family members. You are just selfish leeches and abusers who profit from your positions," he stated.
The contrast between the scarcity faced by the sick and the privileges of the elite is the central focus of the complaint. "You have no shortage of fuel, do not be shameless and at least respect human suffering," he demanded.
The case occurs amidst the worst energy crisis Cuba has faced in decades. The electricity generation deficit exceeded 1,400 MW last Monday, leading to blackouts lasting up to 24 hours in provinces such as Holguín, Granma, and Santiago de Cuba. The country produces only 40,000 barrels of oil daily, while it needs between 90,000 and 110,000.
In other provinces, the service of prioritized taxis for dialysis patients also faces threats due to fuel shortages, although in Pinar del Río, 66 vehicles operate for this purpose, and in Guantánamo, free rides are offered, according to reports on social media.
“Gentlemen, play with the chain but not with the monkey, as we are already tired of suffering so much abuse,” concluded the mother, addressing the provincial authorities directly.
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