José Ángel Portal Miranda is a Cuban doctor born in Cuba in 1968 who has been serving as the Minister of Public Health since July 21, 2018. Portal Miranda specializes in First and Second Degree in Comprehensive General Medicine, Second Degree 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 at the Ministry of Public Health. He is a member of the Central Committee of the PCC.
Portal Miranda directs one of the most affected sectors of the country due to the medication shortages that the island has been facing for years. This scarcity has reached critical levels in the past year (2019-2020), impacting the distribution of medications for chronic patients and the elderly, who endure endless lines from dawn without any guarantees of obtaining 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 notable deterioration of the Cuban Public Health System. The population continually denounces through social media the deplorable condition 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.
Portal Miranda, as Minister, is also responsible for managing the return of two Cuban doctors who were kidnapped on April 12, 2019, in Kenya, with no results so far.
