María Luisa Mendoza, 27 years old and sister of the Cuban pitcher Héctor Mendoza, passed away on Saturday at the municipal hospital "Héroes del Baire" in Nueva Gerona, Isla de la Juventud, after being admitted with a case of hemorrhagic dengue at a facility that did not have the necessary serum to treat her, according to the specialized media Swing Completo.
A source who spoke with that news outlet described the events harshly: "She arrived dehydrated and there was no IV fluid. The family went out to find the necessary medical supplies, and when they returned, she went into cardiac arrest and couldn’t make it."
Intravenous hydration is the essential treatment for hemorrhagic dengue, the severe form of the disease, which can lead to bleeding, shock, and multiple organ failure within a few hours.
The health and governmental authorities of the special municipality Isla de la Juventud did not issue any official statement regarding the case.
The passing of María Luisa Mendoza occurred at the worst moment for the Cuban hospital system in decades. In February, the Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, acknowledged that the system was "on the verge of collapse", with no short-term solutions in sight.
By April, 461 out of 651 essential medications—over 70% of the basic list—were out of stock in state pharmacies, and many hospitals were lacking pain relievers, antibiotics, suturing materials, and even intravenous solutions.
The situation described by the source—serious patient, lack of serum, family going to seek it in the informal market, death during the wait—has been repeated in other documented cases in Cuba during 2025 and 2026.
The health crisis coincides with a relentless dengue epidemic. Cuba closed 2025 with over 81,900 reported cases of dengue and chikungunya and at least 65 associated deaths, according to the Pan American Health Organization.
The Ministry of Public Health warned in June about a possible dengue epidemic. The following month, Villa Clara confirmed the simultaneous circulation of serotypes DENV-2 and DENV-4, a combination capable of worsening the patient's condition within hours. By the end of August, Sancti Spíritus reported a steady increase in cases.
Héctor Mendoza is one of the most recognized pitchers from Isla de la Juventud in the last decade. He made his debut in the National Series in 2011 and was selected for the Cuban national team for the 2014 Central American Games, the 2015 Pan American Games, and the Premier12 that same year. He later pitched for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan and in June 2017 signed with the St. Louis Cardinals for the minor leagues in the U.S., an organization that released him in 2019.
As of the closing of this note, neither the player nor any other family member had made public statements regarding the death of María Luisa Mendoza.
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