Independent journalist Yosmany Mayeta Labrada reported on Monday that his father, an elderly man residing in Santiago de Cuba, was prescribed several medications that are not available in state pharmacies and was advised to obtain them from the informal market.
«Look for it outside», was the response that Agustín Mayeta Pérez received during the medical consultation, as reported by his son on Facebook.
Mayeta explained that her father went to the doctor seeking answers to his health issues, but according to her account, he did not receive a thorough examination. They prescribed medication for stomach problems and a treatment for scabies, including Permethrin, Cimetidine, and Buscopan, according to the handwritten prescription that accompanied the post.
The problem arose when it came to obtaining them: the medications were not available in the state system, and the alternative suggested during the consultation was to look for them "outside."
Mayeta pointed out that some may be found in the informal market, but at prices that are practically unreachable for an elderly person relying on income in Cuban pesos.
"Is that the medical power that is being talked about so much?" he questioned.
The report reflects a reality that the Cuban government has acknowledged itself. Miguel Díaz-Canel admitted this month that only 30% of the Basic Medication Framework is available in the country.
The situation is even worse in some areas. In Ciego de Ávila, authorities acknowledged in mid-August a availability of only 10%. In Villa Clara, 368 out of the 636 essential medications were unavailable.
The shortage of medication is compounded by the deterioration of healthcare facilities. In Santiago de Cuba, the Juan Bruno Zayas Hospital has recently faced complaints regarding critically poor restroom conditions and a lack of supplies, the presence of rats in Perinatology, and even a bedbug infestation that led a nurse to set fire to a chair.
Mayeta publicly requested the intervention of the General Directorate of Health of Santiago de Cuba, social workers, and the authorities of the Communist Party in the province to ensure care for her father.
However, she insisted that her complaint goes far beyond a family issue.
"Today I denounce this because it is my father, but like him, there are thousands of fathers, mothers, grandparents, children, men, and women in Cuba facing similar situations, waiting for an appropriate consultation, a diagnosis, a medication, or simply for someone to treat them like human beings," she wrote.
"I am not asking for privileges for my father. I am claiming a right that any Cuban should have when entering a healthcare institution," he added.
Mayeta concluded with a message that summarizes the extent of her plea: "Today I raise my voice for him because he is my father. Tomorrow he could be anyone's father. His health cannot wait."
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