José Ángel Portal Miranda is a Cuban doctor born in Cuba in 1968, who has been serving as Minister of Public Health since July 21, 2018. Portal Miranda is a specialist with First and Second Degrees 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 was 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 shortage of medications that the island has been facing for years. This scarcity reached critical levels in the past year (2019-2020), impacting the provision of medicines for chronic patients and the elderly, who endure endless lines starting at dawn to obtain their medications, without any guarantees.
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 healthcare system. The population continuously voices their concerns through social media about the deplorable state of hospitals, polyclinics, and health centers, as well as the increasing number of medical negligence cases in recent years, attributed 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.
