Vice Minister of Health Claims Cuba's System Surpasses Many Nations as Children Die from Chikungunya

Amidst one of the most severe epidemiological crises in recent years, with hospitals overwhelmed, thousands of Cubans bedridden at home, and a shocking rise in child mortality, Vice Minister of Public Health, Carilda Peña García, asserted on Monday during a broadcast on Canal Caribe that Cuba's healthcare system is "better than that of many countries."

This statement was made while the official herself acknowledged that 21 people have died from chikungunya, 12 from dengue, and out of those 33 deceased, 21 were under 18 years old. This revelation shook the television audience and confirmed what numerous families and doctors have been reporting for weeks: children are among the main victims of the epidemic.

Nevertheless, the vice minister defended the Cuban system's capabilities, favorably comparing the country to other nations dealing with the virus. "Cuba has a predominantly preventive system... This is not the case in many parts of the world," she claimed, also emphasizing that the outbreak is part of a regional trend and not "exclusive to Cuba."

However, the reality in neighborhoods tells another story. Peña admitted that over 38,000 chikungunya cases have accumulated to date, and municipalities with the highest hotspots continue to increase the epidemiological risk, with provinces like Camagüey, Pinar del Río, Sancti Spíritus, and Havana among the hardest hit.

She also acknowledged issues the population has been denouncing for months: lack of operators, broken machinery, setbacks in fumigation efforts, and vulnerable people not being reached in time.

The contrast between official discourse and daily suffering becomes more evident when the vice minister describes the plight of younger children. Infants under one year old, she noted, are the hardest to reach and most exposed, explaining that many of the deceased were initially classified as suspected cases, with the cause of death only confirmed after clinical and pathoanatomical analyses.

Her statements follow weeks of mixed messages from the health leadership. The outbreak began in Matanzas, where Minister José Ángel Portal Miranda denied any deaths, dismissed reports as "rumors," and assured that everything was "under control," despite reports of healthcare system collapse, drug shortages, and overcrowded hospitals.

Days later, an expert from the IPK insisted that the epidemic "will pass" and soon be "a story to tell," words that infuriated thousands of patients unable to rise from their pain or care for their children.

The figures revealed today contradict such triumphalism. The complications can be devastating: meningoencephalitis, myocarditis, severe hemorrhages, and multisystem failures.

Patients describe pain that immobilizes them for days; entire families bedridden without access to medicine; elderly people alone waiting hours for help; parents spending sleepless nights beside a feverish child, unsure if they can find a hospital bed available.

Despite this, Peña insisted that Cuba's system is superior in surveillance because it counts not only those confirmed by PCR but also clinical-epidemiological cases as positives. Yet, for thousands experiencing the emergency with fear, misinformation, and minimal resources, this argument falls short.

The epidemic continues to surge, trust in institutions erodes, and Cubans endure the heaviest burden. Meanwhile, official media urges "calm" and assures that in Cuba, "everything is done to save lives," even as the numbers and affected families tell a different story.