The owner of a private restaurant in Buenaventura, Holguín, decided to provide free meals to the doctors on duty during the weekends at the municipal hospital Nicodemus Regalado León.
The story was published this Monday by Radio Juvenil, a station from the municipality of Calixto García, which identified the entrepreneur as Alfonso López Ávila, owner of the restaurant-paladar El Ranchón.
Doctor Ariel Leyva Pérez explained that he has received food for free during his shifts and expressed his gratitude for both the quality of the meals and the treatment he has received.
"We have been provided with quality food combined with respectful treatment, camaraderie, and above all, a strong sense of humanity," stated the doctor to the local media.
Dr. Carmen Calixto Calixto, mother of two and residing in the Las Mantecas neighborhood, about seven kilometers from Buenaventura, also expressed her gratitude for the initiative, particularly due to the challenges of working far from home and having to spend long hours at the medical center.
"Imagine, I who work far from home, having this possibility to be able to dine here without having to pay a single cent is something I greatly appreciate", he expressed.
Alfonso López Ávila explained that he decided to help as a sign of gratitude towards healthcare professionals and that he offers food during the afternoons and evenings on Saturdays and Sundays.
"Well, what can I do? I can help them as much as I can with the food for Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings. It is my humble contribution, and I do it with satisfaction," said the owner of El Ranchón.
He also stated that he feels "grateful for Cuban medicine, as so many patients go to medical centers, receive care, and save their lives without having to spend a cent."
Radio Juvenil also noted that the owner of El Ranchón had previously cooperated, at a reduced price, with the feeding of a plumbing brigade that worked on the repair of the sewer system in the Centro Escolar neighborhood in Buenaventura.
"Gestures like the one I just presented have also taken place in neighborhoods and communities in the municipality, with a focus on vulnerable families, which once again highlights the heart of the supportive, selfless, humane, and altruistic Cuban," the broadcaster emphasized.
López Ávila's gesture adds to other initiatives by private workers who have used their own resources to assist amidst the shortages affecting the Cuban population.
In May, an entrepreneur from Sancti Spíritus donated 20 meals to the humanitarian project Brothers of the Street, which provides assistance to individuals in vulnerable situations.
Additionally, the private initiative in Holguín arrives at a particularly complex moment for the workers of the Cuban healthcare system, affected by shortages of medications and supplies, energy issues, and the challenges faced by numerous basic services.
Nutrition during shifts has also been a subject of complaints for years.
In 2022, a doctor from the Mártires de Mayarí Hospital, also in Holguín, showed the meager dinner provided to the on-call staff, consisting of a small portion of rice, boiled sweet potato, and a liquid that could not even be identified with certainty.
"Here, what is lacking is respect for us," the physician stated.
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