The Technical Deputy Directorate of the José Luis Miranda Provincial University Pediatric Hospital in Santa Clara published a post on Facebook this Saturday titled "The Truth Behind the Viral Message" to discredit the plea for help from a mother whose nine-year-old daughter needs pediatric F4 dialyzers to continue her hemodialysis.
The hospital's post, signed under the profile "VTecnica HPediatrico Jlm" and accompanied by official hashtags like #CubaEstaFirme and #VillaClaraConTodos, stated that "the nine-year-old girl has not stopped undergoing dialysis at any time" and described it as "inaccurate" to present the case as an emergency.
He also pointed out that the family "still retains the dialyzers provided by this private donor," arguing that this refutes "the supposed extreme urgency that was circulated."
The response generated immediate outrage. Independent Cuban journalist Yaiset Rodríguez Fernández, who amplified the mother's plea for help on her social media, dismantled the hospital's version point by point.
"FALSE is what you say in the publication. The dialyzers you mentioned were sent in previous treatments and the mother did not keep them; she donated them because they were too large for the girl and didn't work for her. Have some shame and leave that mother alone!" wrote Rodríguez Fernández on Facebook.
The journalist also clarified that the mother never directly contacted any media outlet nor spoke negatively about the Cuban regime: she simply asked for help in obtaining the supplies her daughter needs.
He also added that the family is from Cienfuegos, not from Santa Clara, although the treatment takes place in that hospital.
Thanks to the dissemination of the case, the family will receive a first package of dialyzers managed through Gloria la Riva, a representative of the Hatuey Project, while a second package awaits in Broward, Florida, in the hands of a doctor from the University of Miami who is waiting for someone to transport it to Cuba.
Rodríguez Fernández directly pointed out the underlying contradiction: "If everything were guaranteed, she and the hundreds of patients across the country who receive care thanks to those 'private donors' you mention would not need to ask for help."
The episode reflects a documented pattern in Cuba: health institutions responding to public complaints from patients or their families with denials on social media, prioritizing the image of the system over addressing the complaint.
Something similar occurred in June 2024, when the Lenin Hospital in Holguín attempted to discredit a mother who reported unhygienic conditions, and in July of this year, when Public Health of Mayarí denied the existence of a patient reported on social media.
The case is set against the backdrop of a systemic crisis in the hemodialysis system in Cuba, which affects around 3,000 patients spread across 56 units nationwide.
Between 2025 and 2026, there have been reported treatment interruptions in Camagüey, Santiago de Cuba, Las Tunas, and Holguín due to a shortage of acid concentrate, bicarbonate, dialyzers, and electrical issues.
"A page from the José Luis Miranda University Pediatric Hospital in Santa Clara has dared to contradict a mother in order to uphold the façade of a system that can no longer hold up," summarized Rodríguez Fernández.
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