José Ángel Portal Miranda is a Cuban physician born in Cuba in 1968 who has served as Minister of Public Health since July 21, 2018. Portal Miranda is a First and Second Degree Specialist in Comprehensive General Medicine, a Second Degree Specialist in Health Organization and Administration, and holds a Master's degree in Satisfactory Longevity.
He is also a Deputy to the National Assembly of People's Power.
Before his position as Minister of Health, he served as the deputy director and provincial director of Health in Pinar del Río (since 1996), national director of Hospital Services, and deputy minister of Medical and Social Assistance in the Ministry of Public Health. He is a member of the Central Committee of the PCC.
Portal Miranda oversees one of the most affected sectors in the country due to the medication shortages that the island has been facing for years. This scarcity reached critical levels in the last year (2019-2020), impacting the dispensing of medications for chronic patients and the elderly, who endure, without guarantees, endless queues starting at dawn to obtain their medicines.
On the other hand, there is significant public discontent with the management of the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) led by Portal, due to the noticeable deterioration of the Cuban Public Health System. The population continuously reports through social media the deplorable state of hospitals, polyclinics, and health centers, as well as the high number of medical negligence cases that have increased in recent years due to a lack of resources and organization.
As Minister, Portal Miranda has also been responsible for managing the return of two Cuban doctors who were kidnapped on April 12, 2019, in Kenya, with no results so far.
