A video posted on social media this Friday shows the state of disrepair of the restroom in the maternity ward of the Vladimir Ilich Lenin Provincial Hospital in Holguín, featuring a filthy floor and what appear to be clogged and extremely dirty sanitary facilities.
The images, shared on the Facebook profile of the user Cuban Biker HLG, sparked numerous reactions among internet users, many of whom expressed outrage over the conditions shown in the hospital facility.
A user stated in the comments that she was in that same space two months ago and specified that it is the bathroom used by cesarean patients. According to her testimony, at that time, the place was even in worse condition.
Other comments questioned the hospital's hygienic conditions and expressed concern about possible infections. "They are dying from an infection, do something, it's a disgrace," wrote one person.
Another user claimed that the deterioration was not recent and insisted that those bathrooms "have always been like this for years and years." Additionally, one person directly challenged the official narrative about the Cuban healthcare system and described the situation presented as a "disaster."
Among the reactions, there was also a proposal to allow private clinics as an alternative for those who can afford the cost. "It would be better to allow private clinics and let those who can pay do so," noted one person, who believed this could relieve the pressure on the public system.
Lenin Hospital is one of the two main healthcare centers in Holguín and handles over 75% of the births in the province, making the conditions of its postpartum ward a top public health issue.
In June 2024, a mother showed photos of the only bathroom in the surgical postpartum area, which was in unsanitary conditions with water running down the hallway.
The staff's response was to blame the patients themselves. The hospital reacted by publishing images of staff cleaning other areas, without directly addressing the accusation.
Since then, complaints about the Lenin have increased steadily, with reports of bedbug and cockroach infestations, bathrooms without water, collapsed ceilings, decaying food, a lack of stretchers, blackouts that interrupted hemodialysis sessions, and diagnostic equipment out of service.
At the beginning of this month, a family member of a patient also reported the theft, within the hospital itself, of a wallet containing medications, documents, and bank cards.
The deterioration of the Lenin is not an isolated case. The Lucía Íñiguez Landín Clinical Surgical Hospital in Holguín also lacks potable water, which forces patients' families to walk nearly a kilometer to a private well.
None of the accumulated complaints regarding Lenin Hospital have received an official response from the center or the Ministry of Public Health.
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