A Cuban mother, weakened by a virus that has confined her to bed alongside her young son, has issued a desperate plea highlighting the dire health crisis currently plaguing the country.
In a video shared on the Azúcar Cuba Facebook page, the woman urged people to support those who fall ill and have no one to help them. This appeal comes amid a crisis where the shortage of medications and medical care leaves much of the population fending for themselves.
Speaking in a faint voice from her bed, she recounted her struggle, explaining that she lacks the strength to get up, open a bottle of water, or even take a shower.
"My entire body aches. I am suffering from unbearable diarrhea and vomiting," she says, exhausted.
Beside her, her young son, who had a high fever throughout the night, shivers uncontrollably.
Amidst her pain, nausea, and joint inflammation, the mother is haunted by a recurring thought: she cannot bear the idea of facing this illness alone, without someone to hand her a glass of water or pain relief.
"If you know of any neighbor or friend or anyone who is going through this illness alone, please lend them a hand," she pleaded.
She considers herself fortunate to have the support of family and a neighbor. However, her main concern is for all the Cubans battling the same virus without medicines, ice to reduce fevers, or assistance to rise from bed.
"This is all I can think of since waking up. I have help from my family. Imagine being alone, without medications, enduring this terrible virus. It's heartbreaking," she lamented.
Her message encapsulates the healthcare abandonment faced by millions of Cubans: falling sick means relying on luck, family, or a neighbor who might lend a hand.
"Once I recover, I will help everyone I can," she promised, convinced that the country survives today due to spontaneous solidarity among citizens, not the state health system.
"There are so many people out there with the virus who can't even get out of bed to prepare a bite to eat. So please, I urge again, help anyone you can, because God will repay you in the end," she concluded.
The Depth of a Health Crisis Revealed
The same mother recorded another video days earlier, also from her bed, describing intense symptoms: chills, tremors, swelling in her hands and feet, and complete immobility.
Although unsure of the exact illness, she dismissed mosquito transmission and suggested the virus spreads from person to person. Her account coincided with a surge in infections that the government can no longer conceal.
"And what about those without any pills?" she asked, aware that in today's Cuba, even basic pain relief is a luxury. This moment underscored a harsh reality: in a country devoid of medicines, falling ill is almost a sentence.
Government Acknowledges Epidemic: Children in Intensive Care
The Ministry of Public Health updated figures, acknowledging that all 14 provinces are experiencing a high incidence of arboviruses, with 5,940 febrile cases reported in 24 hours.
According to Dr. Susana Suárez Tamayo, children are the most affected: 102 are in intensive care, 76 in serious condition, and 24 critically ill.
Dengue, chikungunya, and the oropouche virus are simultaneously circulating across the island, with increasing diagnoses and insufficient hospital capacity to address them.
An anonymous specialist highlighted that hospitals are operating without reagents, sufficient resources, or antipyretic medications for severe cases, particularly in pediatrics.
This confirms that official figures fail to hide the precariousness: the epidemic is growing while the healthcare system collapses.
Lack of Fumigation and Resources
Even Deputy Minister of Health, Carilda Peña, admitted that the state can no longer fumigate as before. There's a lack of fuel, insecticides are scarce, and the equipment is in disrepair.
Some provinces lack the technical personnel for vector control. Authorities acknowledge that without mosquito eradication, epidemiological control is impossible, yet they simultaneously announce their inability to act.
Meanwhile, thousands seek medications in informal markets, on social media, or among neighbors with spare pills. The risk of death from controllable diseases grows daily in deteriorating, overcrowded, and under-resourced hospitals.
The government continues to blame the populace: "cover water containers," "eliminate breeding sites." But without fumigation, prepared hospitals, and medications, the mosquito advances faster than any Cuban armed with a bucket of water and a fever they can't reduce.
In this scenario, the plea of a sick mother not only calls for compassion but also inadvertently exposes a country where health has ceased to be a right and has become an individual responsibility: the epidemic is faced by the people, alone and ill, while the state watches from afar.
Understanding the Cuban Health Crisis
What is causing the health crisis in Cuba?
The crisis is primarily due to a lack of medications and medical care, exacerbated by a failing healthcare system and a government unable to provide sufficient resources and fumigation efforts.
How are Cubans coping with the epidemic?
Many are relying on informal markets, social networks, and community support to obtain necessary medications and care, as the state health system is overwhelmed and under-resourced.
What role does the government play in this health crisis?
The government has admitted to the epidemic but continues to face challenges in providing essential healthcare services due to resource shortages and an inability to maintain effective mosquito control measures.