The effect of the blockade on the Cuban health sector is both real and cruel

Image via the PCC

Via Granma, translated from the Spanish

The blockade does exist, it is real, and it has an ongoing effect on Cuban Public Health.

This Friday, Deputy Minister Dr. Julio Guerra Izquierdo explained on the television program Mesa Redonda the direct and harsh impact of the United States Government's policy against Cuba. He noted that this policy has intensified over the past two months, creating a blockade to prevent fuel from reaching the country.

He stressed that one of the immediate impacts on the sector included the cancellation of commercial contracts for acquiring technologies and supplies, as well as the refusal of shipping companies to transport various cargoes to the island, including medicines.

Another instance is the inability to obtain products containing over 10% U.S. technology—known for being among the best and most advanced in medical services—compelling them to seek alternatives from other countries.

"Added to this is the increase in costs and the targeting of sources of income."

As an example of the negative impact, the Vice Minister quantified the damage of the hostile policy on the sector:

• In more than six decades: + 4,183 million dollars.

• In 2025 alone: 288 million dollars.

He also reviewed three specific examples:

• 25 days of blockade: equivalent to the financing required to cover the Basic Table of Medicines for one year in Cuba (339 million dollars)

• 9 days of blockade: equivalent to the budget necessary to import all the expendable material of the national health system in a year: syringes, gauze, needles, sutures, catheters, IV sets... ($129 million)

• 21 hours of blockade: equivalent to the cost of acquiring the necessary insulin for one year for diabetic patients. ($12 million)

Dr. Guerra Izquierdo mentioned that, starting January 29, the U.S. Executive Order aimed at blocking fuel entry into Cuba has adversely affected energy availability in health institutions. However, he noted that the measures implemented have successfully prevented any deaths resulting from power outages.

He explained how priorities were set at each level of care, highlighting the Maternal and Child Program, epidemiological control, urgent and emergency situations, and the treatment of cancer and nephrotic patients, among others.

He mentioned that the promotion and expansion of natural and traditional medicine have been encouraged; services have been reorganized; and special conditions have been established to facilitate the transfer of workers from provincial hospitals and those residing in remote municipalities.

Likewise, swift advancements are occurring in transforming the energy matrix across various health institutions, supported by local authorities and entities, contributions from workers in non-state management forms, and the involvement of international solidarity.

IN FIGURES: Installation of solar panels in health institutions:

• 282 polyclinics

• 78 nursing homes

• 97 maternity homes

• 74 grandparents' houses

• 15 hospitals

The Deputy Minister described how emergency plans were promptly activated at the Hermanos Ameijeiras hospital following the latest National Electric System (SEN) failure, as the hospital's generator failed to start due to a technical issue.

A HOSPITAL AT THE MERCY OF THE BLOCKADE

Regarding the direct impact of the White House's economic asphyxiation on the daily operations of a complex hospital campus, Doctor of Sciences Iliovanys Betancourt Plaza, the director of the Calixto García hospital, explained the challenges of maintaining services across 21 pavilions in a horizontal institution, each of which requires a reliable energy supply.

He mentioned the challenges involved in treating polytraumatized patients, which are highly complex from the point when the critical timeframes need to be adhered to: reaching the scene, rescuing the patient, having a suitable ambulance, and performing the surgery.

"All specialties have had to redesign emergency care protocols to respond to the medical needs of the injured."

He added that responding to several victims in an emergency requires resources and technologies that are currently insufficient, and it is a field where rapid and challenging decisions are necessary.

In terms of surgical procedures, they are among the most affected by shortages, particularly when they rely on multidisciplinary teams. He noted that operations involving multiple specialties require advanced technology and numerous resources. Maintaining all of this has become an enormous challenge.

He noted that clinical conditions, including Cardiology for pacemaker implantation, are also addressed at Calixto García. Obtaining pacemakers has become very challenging, which also results in extended hospital stays for patients.

Nevertheless, the Director stated that all 57 specialties continue to function.

During periods of increased tension, such as when the SEN experiences a failure, he said we have developed protocols and strategies to address these situations, clearly identifying the critical areas that need prioritization.

He stated that the generator sets occasionally fail to start due to their deterioration and technical issues that require parts unavailable because of the blockade. Nevertheless, innovation and the operators' expertise ensure they remain operational.

A HOSTILE POLICY AGAINST SICK CHILDREN

When a policy like the blockade significantly impacts a sector like Public Health, hindering the timely arrival of medicines and causing energy shortages in medical facilities, the primary enemies of the United States Government in Cuba become the ill and children with heart conditions.

This was pointed out by Dr. Eugenio Selman Housein Sosa, director of the Cardiocenter at the William Soler Pediatric Hospital in Havana. He noted that the companies with the most advanced technology for treating heart conditions are based in the United States or hold the patents. However, they are barred from collaborating with Cuba, effectively denying children access to these benefits.

He stressed that depriving a hospital of energy also results in the hospital lacking the water necessary for cleaning, sterilization, and all other treatments, emphasizing the extreme cruelty of this.

"The policy is designed to lead hospitals to collapse, make patients pay, and then allow hypocrites to blame the Cuban government, accusing it of being a failed state," he stated.

IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY

Yamilé García Villar, director of the Institute of Nephrology, said that they already have a network of 57 units throughout the country, equipped with state-of-the-art technology.

However, these devices experience interruptions because preventive maintenance cannot be performed, parts and pieces cannot be replaced, and necessary inputs for their operation are unavailable.

"This energy blockade aims to paralyze nearly all activities, as saving lives requires resources."

Since the coronavirus pandemic, transplant activities have been impacted, and along with the siege, it has hindered us from accomplishing all our goals. Sometimes therapies are extended over time, but we have not ceased our efforts, he stated.

This speaks volumes about the cruelty of such measures, as they affect the lives of 3,000 Cubans in substitution therapy and a thousand involved in transplantation.

However, he said, "we will keep maintaining our achievements even in situations as challenging as these."

This work was translated and shared via a License CC-BY-NC