The Health Directorate of the Mayarí municipality in Holguín province has addressed a viral social media claim regarding the alleged deaths of 14 individuals in a single day at the local hospital. The circumstances were reportedly unclear, with accusations of an official cover-up.
Amid growing public concern, health authorities released an official statement aiming to refute the circulated version on social media and provide concrete data on the recorded fatalities.
Official Statement: Four Confirmed Deaths with Specific Medical Causes
According to the statement from the Municipal Health Directorate, on February 3, three elderly individuals, aged 93, 90, and 85, passed away. They had all been suffering from severe illnesses.
"Two of the deceased had cancer-related conditions, while the third suffered from acute respiratory failure," the report specified.
These individuals had been transferred to Holguín for specialized care but were subsequently returned to Mayarí, their place of residence.
The death of a four-year-old girl due to "acute myeloid leukemia," an aggressive form of hematological cancer, was also confirmed to have occurred a day earlier.
The authorities extended public condolences for all the deaths.
The statement also sought to clarify the handling of funeral services, noting that "the Necrology service provides information, including 24-hour wake services if it is the family's decision."
The Alarm Raised by Independent Journalist
Although not directly mentioned in the official rebuttal, the uproar was sparked by independent journalist José Luis Tan Estrada, who alerted via social media:
"Alarm in Mayarí, Holguín: 14 people died today, and the doctors don't know why."
Later, Tan Estrada, claiming to have sources within the hospital, expanded on his Facebook post with more detailed allegations.
According to him, 14 people allegedly died in a single day, including five cancer patients, a four-year-old with leukemia, elderly individuals over 90, and others reportedly due to respiratory or cardiac causes.
"Today, the Mayarí Hospital in Holguín was the scene of a tragedy that the regime tries to mask with unverifiable diagnoses," he wrote.
The journalist alleged that death certificates contained diagnoses lacking technical support:
"Fourteen people died in one day [...], officially reported as acute respiratory failure and sudden cardiac death."
He added that these diagnoses were directly entered on death certificates despite specialized sources within the hospital indicating that the minimal conditions to certify such causes were absent.
Specifically, he highlighted the absolute lack of diagnostic resources:
"At Mayarí Hospital, there are no resources to even conduct a basic hemoglobin analysis. There are no supplies, no equipment, and no electrocardiogram available to confirm these cardiac causes."
One of his sources within the hospital summarized the severity with a sarcastic question:
"How can you write 'sudden cardiac death' on a death certificate in a hospital that can't perform an ECG? How do you perform an ECG on a deceased?"
Tan Estrada went further, claiming some deaths resulted from neglect and lack of medical care.
"Several of the elderly did not die from cardiac or respiratory causes but from cold, neglect, and a complete lack of medical attention," he said, accusing authorities of "falsifying death causes to conceal the total collapse of the hospital."
He also mentioned that the son of a patient had to buy a week-long antibiotic treatment on the black market, paying 23,560 Cuban pesos, an unaffordable amount for most.
The patient died on the second day, without completing the treatment.
Tan Estrada concluded his allegations with broader accusations:
"This is not the first time it has happened. From this profile, we have repeatedly denounced what happens in this medical institution: systematic negligence, extreme resource scarcity, and entrenched corruption within the Municipal Health Directorate of Mayarí, where administrative impunity results in abandoned patients and deaths that are later covered up with false diagnoses."
The journalist's accusations quickly went viral, prompting the official response from Mayarí's health authorities.
The Need for Clear and Verified Information
Despite the subsequent official denial, the incident has revealed a fracture in public trust towards Cuba's health and communication institutions.
In an environment characterized by chronic medical resource shortages, institutional opacity, and fear of reprisals for public denouncements, it is difficult to distinguish between exaggeration and reality.
What remains clear is the urgent need to address the information gap and ensure the population's right to transparent and verifiable answers.
Key Questions Surrounding the Mayarí Hospital Incident
What sparked the public alarm regarding the Mayarí hospital deaths?
Independent journalist José Luis Tan Estrada's social media post claimed 14 people died in one day at the hospital, raising concerns about the causes and an alleged cover-up, which quickly went viral.
How did the health authorities in Mayarí respond to the allegations?
The health authorities issued an official statement confirming four deaths with specific medical causes and aimed to dispel the claims made on social media.
What accusations did José Luis Tan Estrada make against the hospital's management?
Tan Estrada accused the hospital of having inadequate resources to diagnose causes of death and alleged that some deaths were due to neglect, with authorities falsifying causes to conceal the hospital's collapse.