A multidisciplinary team of specialists from Pinar del Río saved the life of a 24-year-old woman after diagnosing her with a ruptured ectopic tubal pregnancy at the Juan Bruno Zayas Polyclinic in Mantua, the westernmost municipality of Cuba, during an emergency operation that involved two hospitals, several ambulances, and dozens of health professionals.
The incident occurred on Monday, around noon, when the Mantua polyclinic received the patient with the presence of free fluid in the abdominal cavity, a condition that is among the leading causes of maternal death worldwide.
The protocols of the Integrated Medical Emergency System (SIUM) were immediately activated by the Provincial Directorate of Health, the Coordinating Board of the SIUM, and the Abel Santamaría Hospital, the main hospital center in the capital of Pinar del Río.
Within minutes, a team from the Provincial Maternal Commission was mobilized with medicines, anesthetics, surgical instruments, blood, blood derivatives, and parenteral solutions, ready to operate on site if the distance required it.
At the same time, the Augusto César Sandino General Teaching Hospital in the municipality of Sandino was put on alert as an intermediate contingency point in case the patient could not reach the capital. "Two teams activated, two institutions ready, a high level of coordination."
"The best specialists on wheels walking for the problem," described Reinaldo Menéndez, from the Municipal Assembly of People's Power of Pinar del Río, in the Facebook post where he recounted the operation.
As the team traveled to Mantua, the staff at the polyclinic stabilized the patient following real-time guidance from specialists, accompanied by political and governmental authorities from the region.
Once stabilized, it was decided to evacuate the young woman to Abel Santamaría. During the transfer, the ambulance suffered a flat tire on the road. According to Menéndez, "in seconds, the teachers and crew turned into mechanics, along with the solidarity at the scene, which allowed them to change the tire with the same speed seen in Formula 1 races."
The published images show personnel in white coats kneeling next to a Public Health ambulance from Pinar del Río at the edge of a rural road, addressing the breakdown while continuing the operation.
Upon arriving at Abel Santamaría Hospital, a support team was waiting. The surgery confirmed the diagnosis: ruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy with a large amount of blood in the cavity. The young woman survived and was in recovery at the time the report was published.
The case takes on greater significance in the current health context of the province. In February 2026, the health system of Pinar del Río was operating under severe restrictions due to power outages and shortages of supplies, although emergency care remained an absolute priority.
Data from Cuban studies indicate that between 2005 and 2018, ectopic pregnancy accounted for 12.5% of maternal deaths due to direct obstetric causes in Cuba, and that 65.1% of the analyzed cases were ruptured at the time of diagnosis.
"The young woman was saved, she is now recovering and everyone is satisfied because what was an act of heroism turned into a life that was snatched from death," Menéndez wrote as he concluded his story.
Related videos:
Filed under: