A 13-year-old girl admitted to the Eduardo Agramonte Piña Pediatric Hospital in Camagüey is at risk of death because the center lacks the only antibiotic that can treat her infection, according to a letter sent to this outlet on Friday by a family member of the patient.
Ismelys Torres Monzón, who identifies as a relative of the minor, described an extremely serious situation: "The patient has a dural fistula with loss of cerebrospinal fluid, and recently the blood culture tested positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa."
The sensitivity study determined that the bacteria responds to the antibiotic Aztreonam, the only one the medical team has recommended for this case.
The prescribed treatment requires 60 vials of Aztreonam 1 g injectable, to be administered at a rate of approximately one gram every eight hours based on the weight of the girl —32 kilograms— for a minimum duration of ten days.
"Until now, the hospital does not have this medication, and the family is desperately seeking a solution to ensure the treatment prescribed by the specialists," wrote Torres Monzón.
The family emphasized the urgency of time in this type of infection: "We are talking about a pediatric patient with a severe infection in a high-risk context, where time is a critical factor."
Anyone who can help locate the medication can contact Ismelys Torres Monzón at the phone number +5359028069.
The case evokes a tragedy that occurred just three months ago: a baby under two months identified as Naelis Barrio Oliveira died on April 7 at the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes hospital in Bayamo due to a lack of Aztreonam.
That case also generated an urgent call on social media, but the help arrived too late and the baby passed away.
The Pediatric Hospital of Camagüey has also accumulated other recent complaints that reflect its deterioration: in October 2025, a mother reported that there was only one pediatrician for the entire facility; this month, a roach infestation was reported in its facilities; and at the beginning of July, the main generator set caught fire at the hospital.
The shortage of Aztreonam is not an isolated case but rather part of a structural pharmaceutical crisis: in June 2026, BioCubaFarma admitted that it could not guarantee nearly 300 of the 395 medicines committed to the national health system.
According to official data from the Ministry of Public Health, the infant mortality rate in Cuba ended 2025 at 9.9 per every thousand live births, nearly three times the 3.9 recorded in 2018, while the system operates with only 30% of the basic medication list available.
Torres Monzón concluded his letter with a direct request: "We respectfully ask that the necessary measures be taken to locate and provide this medication as urgently as possible, whether through national availability, transfer between institutions, or any means that will allow the child to receive the treatment she needs."
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