The Cuban content creator Jennifer (@oschinvarela) posted a video on Instagram denouncing the sale of toys, balloons, and candies inside pediatric hospital rooms in Cuba, where unaccredited vendors freely roam among sick children and their families.
"Something is happening in pediatric hospitals and we need to talk about it. While many parents are worried about their children's health, people are coming in selling toys, candies, and other things within the hospital areas," Jennifer warned in her post on June 8.
The complaint is not limited to the presence of vendors but also concerns the way they operate: they show the products directly to children to create demand, in an environment where parents are emotionally drained and have limited resources.
"The problem is not selling; the problem is how it is done, because they are selling at outrageous prices. The other day, a cookie that usually costs me between 180 and 220 pesos cost me 300 pesos," he recounted.
Jennifer recounted the case of her daughter Alma, who was being treated for a urine culture and repeatedly asked for balloons. After receiving a negative response, the girl said to her: "Buy me one that's not expensive, something cheaper, or else we won't take a car to go back; we'll go by bus." The mother ended up buying them despite her financial difficulties.
"I am not against people who work to make a living, but profiting from someone else's situation is not right. We are talking about sales in a hospital, not in a playground," she pointed out.
The reaction in the comments was overwhelming
"The problem is selling, entering a hospital room without accreditation, offering not only what cannot be bought but also what cannot be eaten. This was never allowed. Officials from the Ministry of Public Health of Cuba, resign now; you can't even guarantee this, which is not the responsibility of the embargo," wrote a user.
Another comment noted that "often the food sold at already high prices is defective," while a third confirmed that "the waiting room seats are filled with vendors," despite the fact that the nearby cafeterias offer lower prices.
The unrestricted movement of unauthorized individuals within Cuban pediatric hospitals is not just a commercial regulation issue: it represents the same vulnerability that has facilitated documented thefts in hospital wards.
At the Pediatric Hospital of Centro Habana, it was reported that men disguised as nurses were stealing belongings at night, and at the Sur Pediatric Hospital of Santiago de Cuba, thieves were entering through the rear wall to take cell phones and bags from families with hospitalized children.
In March 2026, authorities arrested an alleged thief who was operating at the Pediatric Hospital in Centro Habana, highlighting that the problem continues.
The phenomenon is not new when it comes to vendors either. In December 2022, authorities in Matanzas fined vendors at the local pediatric hospital for exorbitant prices, with penalties that barely amounted to 1,500 Cuban pesos in total, a measure that did not have a lasting effect.
Jennifer's complaint is part of a broader health crisis. In October 2025, the William Soler Pediatric Hospital was reported for overcrowded emergency rooms, staff shortages, and lack of supplies.
A few months later, in April 2026, the absence of antibiotics and basic medications was reported in pediatric hospitals in various provinces.
"Hospitals should be a place where the well-being of children and their families is prioritized, not where they take advantage of their vulnerability," Jennifer concluded.
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