Related videos:
The espirituana micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise Banvarias S.U.R.L. made a donation of diapers for children and adults to four healthcare centers in the health system of Sancti Spíritus this Saturday, in a gesture that reflects the increasing reliance of the Cuban healthcare sector on private contributions.
The beneficiaries were the Provincial Elderly Home, the Elderly Home of the municipality of Sancti Spíritus, the Reparador de Sueños Psychopedagogical Center, and the Provincial Pediatric Hospital, highlighted the official newspaper Escambray.
Alexis Macías Hernández, sole partner of the company, pledged to repeat the initiative and announced that they are working to reduce the prices of their products.
"Whenever we can, these donations will be repeated. It's a way to contribute to the community. Furthermore, we are working to lower prices," Macías promised.
Provincial health authorities received the contribution with satisfaction. Sonia Sañudo Moya, Disability Advisor for the General Directorate of Health in Sancti Spíritus, emphasized the importance of this kind of collaboration.
"Every contribution made by entities or individuals to health institutions is more than welcome. For our part, we are open to any type of collaboration. There are no restrictions," he emphasized.
Diapers are essential items that are chronically scarce in Cuba, especially in institutions that care for vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and people with disabilities.
The donation comes amid a collapse of the Cuban healthcare system. The Minister of Public Health acknowledged in July 2025 that the country operates with only 30% of the basic list of medications, with 461 out of 651 essential drugs out of stock.
Older adults are the most affected sector by the crisis. A 2025 survey revealed that 99% of retired Cubans do not meet their basic needs, and eight out of ten people over 61 have stopped having one meal a day due to a lack of resources.
This pattern of private donations to the healthcare sector is seen throughout the island. Earlier this month, three companies donated food to the El Rampeño senior citizens' dining room in Vedado, which serves more than fifty vulnerable elderly individuals.
In November 2025, private entrepreneurs from Holguín delivered humanitarian aid consisting of clothing, food, and hygiene products to those affected by Hurricane Melissa in Cacocum, further demonstrating the void that the State can no longer fill.
The Cuban government itself admitted in March that it lacks sufficient funds to support all vulnerable individuals, and that the dining halls for the elderly and assistance centers increasingly rely on contributions from the private sector due to the ongoing hospital crisis on the island.
Filed under: