A woman residing in Los Colonos, on the Isle of Youth, claims that she needs to undergo surgery, but first, she must obtain several of the medical supplies needed for the procedure on her own—something she says she does not know how to tackle due to her precarious economic and family situation.
Her story was collected by content creator Yoana Pérez, who shared the testimony on Facebook during a visit to her home.
"I have to have surgery. I don’t have the surgical kit that they say I need to find in order to have the operation; I need to look for the IV, the trocar, the catheter, the levin, I have to find everything. Where am I supposed to find that? I don’t have family, I don’t receive help or anything like that," the woman reported.
But the operation is just one part of their problems.
The woman lives with her mother, an elderly woman with severe vision difficulties, and with her daughter, who studies at a special school. She explained that her health condition also prevents her from maintaining a regular job.
"I am here alone with my mom and the little girl, and I have been this way for years. As I told you about work, I can't work, they don't allow me to, they don't retire me," she lamented.
He assures that when his leg becomes inflamed, he has to stop working, but he has also been unable to access a disability pension.
The household's income primarily depends on the little they receive from her and her mother. "I'm living on the three thousand and a bit that I get paid and the three thousand and a bit that she gets paid to buy whatever comes up, at whatever price, to keep us more or less afloat," she explained.
The difficulties are also evident within the home. According to what he mentioned, the machine he used for work broke down, the house has leaks, and several of the appliances he owns no longer function.
Even the celebration of her daughter's 15th birthday was made possible thanks to the help of an uncle living in Havana, who covered some of the expenses.
The case recalls other recent reports from Cuban patients who claim they have had to search for materials in order to undergo procedures.
In June, a 23-year-old displayed a handwritten list of the supplies he needed to obtain before a surgery. Among them were a urinary catheter, cannulas, a transfusion set, sutures, and blood donations.
The shortage of medications and medical supplies continues to impact hospitals and pharmacies on the Island. Published reports indicate that about 70% of the essential medications were in short supply, while health authorities have acknowledged the severity of the shortage.
For this woman from Los Colonos, however, the problem has an immediate dimension: she needs surgery and asserts that she has no money or relatives who can provide her with what they are asking for.
"Where am I supposed to find that?" she asked in front of the camera.
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