A Cuban mother has accused the medical staff at a hospital in Holguín of negligence and highlighted the severe lack of necessary supplies to treat her son's foot injury.
According to a complaint posted on the Facebook profile of Dennis Domínguez—the father of a young man who was attacked with a machete in Holguín last year—the doctors asked the mother to bring her own gauze and gloves for the treatment.
“I've been taking my child, who lost a toenail and needs stitches, for two days, and they told me to bring gauze and gloves. The traumatologist [didn't attend to him because] he said he was seeing other patients,” the woman explained in her post.
The reported incident occurred this Tuesday at the hospital located in the community of San Germán, which belongs to the Urbano Noris municipality in Holguín.
“This is happening at the San Germán Hospital. This is the medical prowess they claim to have in Cuba, marked by negligence and lack of patient care,” protested the mother of the child who lost his toenail in a domestic accident.
Dennis, father of Lester Domínguez, has become one of the most vocal critics of the Cuban healthcare system. The ordeal following his son's assault has given him firsthand experience of the collapse of medical services on the island.
In late May, the young man, who has been in a wheelchair for over a year, asked his father to take him out of the country because there were no conditions in Cuba for his recovery.
“The boy sees that everything is complicated by the power outages in Cuba and there are no necessary conditions for his recovery. He told me the best way I could help him was by leaving the country,” Dennis wrote on his Facebook profile.
In July 2023, Dennis denounced the poor conditions of the healthcare center where his son was staying, indicating that the respiratory diseases ward lacked the resources to properly care for patients.
He also described the shortage of sheets and medications, a common issue throughout the country amid a widespread crisis affecting thousands of Cubans.
On that occasion, the young man had to be readmitted because the bedsore he developed during therapy had become infected, and his home lacked the resources to treat it properly.
According to the father, the hospital administration told him that only in severe cases could the patient remain in the hospital and prescribed Cefixime to combat the staphylococcus infection, which proved to be insufficient.
Healthcare Crisis in Cuba: Key Questions Answered
Given the ongoing crisis in the Cuban healthcare system, many have questions about the severity and impact of the situation. Here are some of the most pressing inquiries addressed.
What are the main issues in the Cuban healthcare system?
The Cuban healthcare system is plagued by a severe shortage of medical supplies, inadequate facilities, and frequent power outages, all of which compromise patient care.
Why was the mother asked to bring her own medical supplies?
Due to the shortage of basic medical supplies in Cuban hospitals, patients and their families are often required to provide their own gauze, gloves, and other necessary items for treatment.
Who is Dennis Domínguez and why is he significant?
Dennis Domínguez is a vocal critic of the Cuban healthcare system, drawing attention to its failures after his son, Lester Domínguez, was seriously injured and faced numerous challenges in receiving adequate medical care.