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 generated by posts on social media featuring private medical services with fees in dollars.
"We must be categorical: in our country, the practice of private medicine is not allowed under any circumstances or payment method," stated the institution.
The authorities stated that “there is no legal basis” for conducting that activity and asserted that it is expressly prohibited by the .
The statement also heightened the tone by warning of potential legal consequences for those who attempt to offer or promote these services.
«Any person, whether a health professional or a private 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 that the law establishes” 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 profitable practices outside the law to harm the healthcare system that we have built and that belongs to all Cubans," he added.
Authorities also urged the public to report any attempts to profit from medical services and described these offers as potentially fraudulent.
The statement comes after the case of Dalia Spa, a private business in Camagüey emerged, which circulated a catalog featuring internal medicine and cardiology consultations for $30, as well as exams, gynecological procedures, and a comprehensive laboratory check-up for $105.
The establishment later stated 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 medical care professional activities for the State.
Decree 160/2026, effective from August 4, includes among the unauthorized activities for non-state economic actors technical and professional services in medical and social care, including dental services, although it specifies certain exceptions for particular activities under authorization.
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