Young Mother's Death in Havana Hospital Sparks Surge of Complaints

Rosleidys, a 21-year-old Cuban woman, tragically passed away last Thursday at the General University Hospital "Enrique Cabrera," commonly referred to as the National Hospital. Her family attributes her untimely death to severe medical negligence: she arrived with abdominal pain, yet the staff merely administered an IV without conducting any diagnostic tests.

Her mother-in-law, known as Judith, shared a denunciation letter on Facebook, which quickly went viral, unleashing a torrent of accounts from Cubans who have experienced similar situations at various hospitals across the nation.

"My daughter-in-law went to the National Hospital with what seemed to be treatable abdominal pain. However, the medical staff's initial response was limited to administering an IV, neglecting the necessary studies, evaluations, or interventions to determine the true cause of her condition," Judith stated in her social media post.

Family's Desperate Plea for Help

As Rosleidys' condition visibly worsened, her husband and brother-in-law had to forcefully demand her transfer to the intensive care unit, as described in the complaint. Yet, critical measures such as intubation and adequate life support were not provided.

What the family finds most disturbing is that, while medical attention was either denied or delayed, the hospital resorted to involving the police to suppress the frantic family members who were merely pleading for help. "It's even more alarming that, while the necessary medical care was withheld, police presence was used to suppress the family desperately trying to save their loved one," Judith lamented.

Widespread Negligence Unveiled

Rosleidys leaves behind a one-year-old son. "A son has lost his wife, a mother has lost her daughter, and a one-year-old child will grow up without the love and presence of his mother," her mother-in-law wrote. In another post, she mourned, "Just 21 years old, and now my grandson without you, your love, your warmth."

The letter triggered a wave of testimonials in the comments section. Beatriz Hernández shared that her mother passed away on March 9 at the Fajardo Hospital under similar circumstances: "They did nothing, just a saline IV and nothing more. They couldn't clear her phlegm because the defibrillator was broken, and they didn't provide oxygen due to a lack of boiled water."

Lisandra Amador reported that her uncle died between April 13 and 15 at the Calixto García Hospital due to medical negligence. Yordank CH recounted that his 64-year-old mother passed away at the same National Hospital on November 30, 2020, and that no complaint submitted at any level received a response.

Systemic Healthcare Failures

Rosleidys' case is not an isolated incident. In December 2025, Daniela Aurora Ochoa Hernández, aged 22, died with her baby at the Roberto Rodríguez Hospital in Morón, Ciego de Ávila, due to alleged negligence. In May 2024, Laura Castillo Zulueta, seven months pregnant, died at the same National Hospital after being transferred from the Hijas de Galicia Maternity Hospital. In February 2026, a 26-year-old woman died in Camagüey due to a lack of norepinephrine.

The collapse of Cuba's healthcare system has deep-rooted structural issues. The Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, admitted to the National Assembly in July 2025 a crisis of unprecedented scale: chronic supply shortages, mass exodus of professionals, and rising maternal and infant mortality rates.

The maternal mortality rate nearly doubled from 37.4 to 56.3 per 100,000 live births between 2024 and mid-2025. Cuba lost more than 12,000 doctors to emigration between 2021 and 2022, and only 30% of essential medications are available in the country.

"I demand an investigation into this case, accountability for those responsible, and the implementation of measures to prevent such incidents from recurring," Judith concluded in her letter, echoing a plea made by many Cubans before without receiving any response from the regime.