The Dr. Juan Bruno Zayas Alfonso General Hospital in Santiago de Cuba received a donation of medical supplies from the Siboney Solidarity Collective with Cuba, a Chilean organization with years of experience in supporting the island's healthcare system.
Among the delivered materials are amoxicillin, ibuprofen 400mg, Foley catheters, syringes, latex gloves, KN95 masks, and wet wipes, transported in suitcases directly to the hospital center, highlighted this Saturday in a report from the official portal Santiago de Cuba today.
The Siboney Collective is part of the Movement of Solidarity with Cuba in Chile, along with social, trade union, and friendship organizations, and has been gathering medicines and medical supplies for the island for years.
"At the Clínico, where every resource can directly translate into better conditions for patient care, the Chilean donation conveys a simple yet significant message: solidarity among people can also save and improve lives," the publication stated.
The delivery is part of a cooperation relationship that gained new dimensions at the beginning of the year with the Nuestra América convoy, an international initiative that in March mobilized around five tons of supplies such as medicines, food, and solar panels, with nearly 650 delegates from 33 countries.
A Chilean delegation made up of parliamentarians, union members, graduates from the Latin American School of Medicine, and representatives from social organizations participated in that convoy, whose first group arrived in Havana with over 600 kilograms of medicines, clinical supplies, milk, and school materials.
The donation arrives at a critical time for Juan Bruno Zayas, the main clinical-surgical hospital in eastern Cuba.
In July, images of collapsed bathrooms with sewage leaks were disseminated in the center, and this month the presence of rats in the Perinatology room was reported.
The hemodialysis service has also faced interruptions due to a lack of basic supplies such as salt for the disinfection plant, resulting in delays of hours for patients.
The crisis of the Cuban healthcare system is reflected in the absence of 461 out of 651 essential medications in state pharmacies, over 70% of the list, according to official data from April.
The Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, acknowledged in February that the system is "on the verge of collapse."
The Chilean donation adds to a growing chain of international aid that Cuba increasingly relies on; so far this year, medications from Russia, Brazil, and Bahamas have arrived, in addition to three Russian ambulances delivered last week.
Chile, for its part, confirmed in February a humanitarian aid of one million dollars channeled through the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) for health, nutrition, and child protection, which makes the Siboney Collective part of a broader effort by the South American country towards the island.
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