The General Directorate of Health of Camagüey warned this Thursday that the private practice of medicine remains prohibited in Cuba and announced that health and judicial authorities will take action against those who offer or promote medical services for profit.
The statement was published in an informative note shared on Facebook, following the controversy sparked by posts on social media featuring private medical services with prices in dollars.
“Moreover, we must be unequivocal: in our country, the practice of private medicine is not allowed under any circumstances or payment method,” the institution stated.
The authorities asserted that “there is no legal basis” for carrying out that activity and claimed that it is explicitly prohibited by the .
The statement also raised the tone by warning of potential legal consequences for those who attempt to provide or promote those services.
“Any person, whether a healthcare professional or an individual, who attempts to engage in or promote these activities, is committing an illegal act and, therefore, a crime,” stated the General Directorate of Health.
The institution added that “the health and judicial authorities of the province will act with all the rigor established by law” against those who violate the regulations.
In its statement, the General Directorate of Health of Camagüey defended the state model and asserted that “public health is a right of the people and a duty of the State.”
"We will not allow individual interests or profit-driven practices outside the law to harm the healthcare system we have built, which belongs to all Cubans," he added.
The authorities also urged the population to report any attempts to profit from medical services and labeled these offers as potentially fraudulent.
The statement comes after the case of Dalia Spa, a private business in Camagüey became known, which published a catalog featuring internal medicine and cardiology consultations for $30, as well as examinations, gynecological procedures, and a comprehensive laboratory check-up for $105.
The establishment later claimed that the announcement had been a "test" and that the services were not available.
The catalog included, among other services, initial consultations in internal medicine and cardiology for $30, interconsultations and follow-ups for $15, ultrasounds priced between $25 and $45, insertion and removal of intrauterine devices, and a cervical cytology for $80.
However, it has not been proven that the establishment carried out those consultations, analyses, or procedures, nor that it charged the amounts advertised.
What has been documented so far is the existence of the advertisement and the subsequent response from the business stating that the services "are not available."
Current legislation reserves healthcare professional activities to the State.
The Decree 160/2026, in effect since August 4, includes among the unauthorized activities for non-state economic actors technical and professional services in healthcare and social services, including dental services, although it provides specific exceptions for certain activities under authorization.
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