They deny a collapse at the pediatric hospital in Matanzas: "We are not in an epidemic situation."

The director of the Eliseo Noel Caamaño Provincial Pediatric Hospital in Matanzas, Dr. Anaelis Santana Álvarez, denied that the facility is in crisis and assured that it is operating normally, with an occupancy rate that does not exceed 90% of its capacity.

The management explained to the newspaper Girón that the center is equipped with 209 beds, but currently operates with only 178. This reduction is not due to a healthcare crisis, but rather administrative decisions and the ongoing energy crisis affecting the Island: the Gastroenterology Room was transferred to the Provincial Blood Bank due to electrical issues, and the Orthopedics Room is undergoing construction maintenance.

"There is movement in the institution with a greater number of discharges than incoming patients," he stated.

Regarding the epidemiological landscape, Santana Álvarez dismissed the idea that Matanzas is experiencing an epidemic, although he acknowledged the circulation of arboviruses and around twenty respiratory viruses.

"We are not in a moment of epidemic; there are arboviruses circulating as stationary viruses, but there is no significant increase. Less than half of the hospitalized children are related to that cause," he stated.

"In regard to respiratory conditions, which always become concerning at this time of year, around twenty viruses are currently circulating. It’s a service that has remained quite busy, which is typical for these months when there is an increase in colds, pneumonia, and otitis," he detailed.

The denial comes in an epidemiological context that health authorities themselves have described as complex. At the beginning of the month, the provincial health director, Yamira López, warned that October and November are the months of greatest epidemiological complexity in the province and that "this is not a calm stage."

At the national level, the Ministry of Public Health recognized at the end of September a simultaneous increase in respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, hepatitis, and arboviral diseases, attributed by Deputy Minister Carilda Peña García to "limitations in environmental sanitation systems, water treatment, and waste collection."

Despite what its directors say, the recent history of the Eliseo Noel Caamaño hospital gives citizens reason to be concerned. In October 2025, the hospital was overwhelmed with its beds at 100% occupancy during simultaneous outbreaks of dengue, chikungunya, and oropouche, which forced the establishment of an auxiliary center at the University of Medical Sciences of Matanzas.

In February of this year, a video circulated on social media showed deplorable hygienic conditions inside the facility, and in May, a makeshift dump was reported a block away from the hospital, posing a risk of mosquito and rodent proliferation.