Dr. Osvaldo Castro Peraza from the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK) admitted a harsh truth on the Mesa Redonda this Thursday: the Cuban government's health system has lost control over the chikungunya epidemic ravaging the island. This acknowledgment marks a significant shift from the government's previous public stance.
“A significant portion of those afflicted have yet to seek medical help, and the only way we can now gather accurate data is by conducting active outreach... visiting homes individually,” Castro confessed. This statement exposes the Ministry of Public Health's lack of awareness regarding the actual number of infected Cubans.
The Collapse of Epidemic Surveillance
What the expert described as a mere “difficulty” in counting cases is, in reality, an admission that the disease is progressing faster than the institutions' ability to document, treat, or contain it. The need for door-to-door surveys highlights how the supposed strength of Cuba’s public health system is failing to grasp the true scale of the outbreak.
The situation is dire, with many Cubans resorting to self-medication due to a lack of faith in a strained healthcare system. “Unfortunately, there is a lot of information on social media, even from medical sources, leading people to self-medicate and avoid health centers,” the doctor explained, indirectly blaming the populace for seeking solutions amid governmental shortcomings.
A Call for Resilience Amidst Chaos
In a revealing moment, the expert conveyed the regime's desired message: “I know you're distressed, but we must maintain calm and composure.” This plea comes during a crisis that the specialist himself described in alarming terms, with entire families bedridden, individuals unable to move, and patients at risk of death remaining at home.
Castro attempted to reassure the population by noting that “our experiences from other countries” suggest that “this will pass” and that “we’ll have an end of the year.” These hollow words offer little solace to the countless Cubans enduring debilitating pain without proper medication.
A Perfect Storm Unrecognized
The IPK scientist openly acknowledged the context in which the epidemic arrived. “The Cuban population did not expect this to happen, especially amidst current conditions: cyclones, blockade, economic crisis.” This admission highlights how the economic collapse has left Cuba vulnerable to any health emergency.
The specialist revealed that the island was entirely susceptible to the virus—“the entire population was virgin, without immunity”—and that the disease is almost always symptomatic. “For every 10 chikungunya infections, nine exhibit clinical symptoms,” indicating a massive outbreak, far larger than any official figures might suggest.
Contradictory Messaging
While the doctor warned of severe complications such as myocarditis, encephalitis, hemorrhages, and Guillain-Barré syndrome, acknowledging that some people's lives are at risk while they remain at home without necessary medical care, the official message continues to downplay the crisis.
This contradiction is stark: on one hand, there’s a call for “calm”; on the other, there's an admission that chronic patients face “life-threatening” situations at home, implicitly acknowledging the system's disconnection from the most vulnerable patients.
Castro admitted that medications are circulating “through unofficial channels, without prescriptions,” tacitly acknowledging the black market for pharmaceuticals thriving amid state shortages.
A Chronic Condition for a Struggling Nation
The expert explained that chikungunya is not a short-lived illness; it can persist for months, with intermittent symptoms that hinder work. For a country where work pressure is immense and wages are meager, this means that thousands of families will be without income for months.
“There is significant social pressure; people need to care for and support their families, but they simply can’t,” the doctor admitted, inadvertently describing the social crisis engulfing the populace.
What the Official Discourse Ignores
What the Mesa Redonda failed to address is perhaps the most crucial aspect:
- How many real cases are there? If the system isn't capturing the sick, official numbers are mere fiction.
- Why did the virus arrive now? What failures occurred in the supposedly exemplary surveillance and vector control systems?
- Where are the medications? The doctor listed treatments but didn’t explain why Cubans must seek them on the black market.
- What is the actual plan? Beyond calling for “calm,” what concrete measures are being taken to contain the epidemic?
Dr. Castro’s intervention, far from soothing, confirmed what many Cubans already knew: the once-proud health system is overwhelmed and disorganized.
The call for “calm and composure” rings hollow when thousands of families suffer without adequate medical care, without available medications, and without knowing when this nightmare will end.
Once again, the Cuban regime asks its people to endure the repercussions of its own incompetence. And once again, Cubans find themselves alone in the crisis, armed only with their resilience and the information circulating on the same social networks the government now blames for mass self-medication.
Understanding Cuba's Health Crisis
What is causing the chikungunya outbreak in Cuba?
The chikungunya outbreak in Cuba is spreading rapidly due to the population's lack of immunity and the failure of the health system to effectively monitor and control the disease.
How is the Cuban government responding to the epidemic?
The government is urging the population to remain calm and is attempting to gather data by visiting homes, but the response has been criticized as insufficient and disconnected from the reality of the crisis.
Why are Cubans resorting to self-medication?
Due to a lack of trust in the overwhelmed healthcare system and the influence of medical information available on social media, many Cubans are choosing to self-medicate rather than seek professional medical help.