A Cuban mother identified as OschinVarela posted a video on Facebook denouncing the presence of street vendors inside pediatric hospitals who offer toys, balloons, and sweets directly to sick children, at prices that are significantly higher than those in the market.
The video, which is specifically linked to the oncology unit of the Camagüey Pediatric Hospital, highlights the pressure these vendors exert on parents, often without resources, exploiting the vulnerable moments they experience with sick children.
"There is something happening in pediatric hospitals that we need to talk about. While many parents are worried about their children's health, there are people coming in selling toys, candies, and other items within the hospital areas," the author states in the video.
OschinVarela clarifies that his criticism is not directed at those who are trying to make a living, but rather at the methodology: "The issue is not selling, the issue is how it is done, because they sell at exorbitant prices."
As a concrete example, it is noted that a cookie that normally costs between 180 and 220 Cuban pesos was sold to her for 300 pesos inside the hospital.
The mother recounts her own experience with her daughter Alma, who underwent a catheterization for a urine culture during their visit to the medical center.
Upon returning from the procedure, the balloon seller was still in the area, and the girl asked him for them again.
Faced with the refusal, the little girl said, "Mom, buy me one that isn't expensive, one that's cheaper, or else we're not taking a car to come back, we're going to go by bus."
"I ended up buying it for him; I couldn't bring myself to say no," the mother admits.
OschinVarela describes the mechanism that makes it so hard to resist: "They pass in front of the children, showing them toys or candies, and naturally the children get excited and ask their parents for them," who at that moment "are dealing with worries, stress, fatigue, and often financial difficulties."
"The most difficult moment arrives: telling your child no when they are sick, worried, or undergoing treatment. And often, we end up buying it, not because we can, but because of the situation at that moment," she concludes.
The complaint is not new. In December 2022, authorities in Matanzas fined vendors at the local pediatric hospital for "excessive prices," with penalties that barely totaled 1,500 Cuban pesos, indicating that the issue persists without a real solution.
The case occurs amid a deep crisis of the Cuban pediatric healthcare system, where the infant mortality rate closed 2025 at 9.9 per thousand live births, more than double that of 2018, when it was 4.0 per thousand.
The Ministry of Public Health itself admitted that the system covers only 30% of the basic medication list, and more than 11,000 children are on the surgical waiting list amidst hospital blackouts lasting up to 20 hours a day.
Inflation further exacerbates the situation: cookies that used to cost 25 pesos are now being sold for 100 pesos, and some packages reach 350 pesos by 2026, making the markup charged by these vendors within medical centers even more burdensome.
"We're talking about a hospital, not a playground. Hospitals should be a place where the well-being of children and their families is prioritized, not where their vulnerability is exploited," concludes OschinVarela.
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