A purchase of 6,800 Cuban pesos —almost the entire monthly salary of a newly graduated doctor in Cuba— became the focus of a viral video this week that exposes the precariousness of the island's healthcare system. The user Alianis Leyva published a 35-second clip on TikTok on Tuesday that gathered almost 400,000 views and sparked outrage on social media.
In the video, Leyva showcases a purchase worth 6,800 CUP and compares it to the official salary of a newly graduated doctor: 7,045 Cuban pesos per month, established by Resolution 17/2026 of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, effective from the first of July. At the informal exchange rate on Tuesday —684 CUP per dollar— that income amounts to just 10.30 dollars per month.
"It is quite sad that for such an important profession, their work only provides enough for one meal," Leyva asserted in the clip.
The new salary represented an increase compared to the 4,610 CUP that newly graduated doctors earned before the reform. However, the rapid depreciation of the peso against the dollar— which in the informal market went from around 120 CUP per dollar in 2021 to 684 CUP in September 2026— has completely eroded the real value of that improvement.
This gap between income and prices is one of the driving forces behind the medical exodus occurring in Cuba. According to a report by El País, more than 30,000 doctors have emigrated in the three years leading up to December 2025, and 70,000 healthcare workers have resigned.
The Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, acknowledged in July 2025 a "unprecedented structural crisis" in the healthcare system, with coverage of barely 30% of the basic medicine supply. By March 2026, 80% of the essential medicines produced locally were below the required levels.
At the end of the video, Leyva posed a question to his followers: "Which other profession would you like to see their salary?" The overwhelming response from the public — over 32,000 "likes" and hundreds of comments — suggests that the outrage over Cuban salaries is far from exhausted.
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