A Cuban mother has publicly shared the harrowing ordeal she endured following the death of her newborn daughter at the Maternal Hospital in Camagüey. The testimony was disseminated by journalist José Luis Tan Estrada via his Facebook page.
According to her account, prenatal check-ups assured her that she was expecting a macrosomic baby, one with a normal or even above-average weight.
However, the reality during delivery was starkly different: her daughter was born weighing just two pounds.
The mother describes a series of contradictions that she finds bewildering. A cesarean section was performed due to a supposed retroplacental hematoma, yet no prior ultrasound was conducted to confirm this diagnosis.
What troubles her most is that an ultrasound performed the day before the procedure indicated everything was normal.
The ordeal continued post-surgery. Fresh from the operation and grappling with the physical and emotional pain of a cesarean, she had to climb up and down stairs every few hours to check on her daughter's condition.
The hospital lacks an elevator, and there was no staff assigned to update mothers on their babies' health.
While she was navigating those stairs, her infant was valiantly fighting for her life.
For four days, the child battled severe complications: pulmonary, gastric, and cerebral hemorrhages, multiple cardiac arrests, kidney issues, and numerous seizures. Tragically, she did not survive.
“My daughter fought for her life for four days,” the mother summarized in her testimony.
Ongoing Tragedies at Camagüey's Maternal Hospital
This incident is not the first to send shockwaves through Camagüey's Maternal Hospital.
In May 2026, public allegations surfaced that over 15 infants had died at the facility between January and May of that year, amid deplorable sanitary conditions, including sewage leaks in the neonatal ward.
In September 2024, another family reported the death of a baby at the same hospital due to alleged medical negligence, with similar cases occurring in August and September of 2025.
Worsening National Health Crisis
The national context exacerbates the situation. Cuba ended 2025 with an infant mortality rate of 9.9 per 1,000 live births, the highest in decades, compared to 7.1 in 2024 and 4.0 in 2018, marking a cumulative increase of 148%.
Maternal mortality also rose to 44.1 per 100,000 live births in 2025, up from 40.6 the previous year.
Tan Estrada was emphatic in concluding his post: “No mother should leave the hospital with empty arms. No family should be left without answers. And no tragedy of this magnitude should be ignored.”
Understanding the Health Crisis in Cuba
What were the conditions at Camagüey's Maternal Hospital?
The hospital faced severe sanitary issues, including sewage leaks in the neonatal ward, contributing to a high infant mortality rate.
How has infant mortality in Cuba changed recently?
Infant mortality in Cuba has increased significantly, reaching 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2025, the highest rate in decades.
What did the mother experience post-surgery?
Post-surgery, the mother had to repeatedly climb stairs to check on her daughter's condition, as there was no elevator or staff to provide updates.
What are the main health challenges Cuba is facing?
Cuba is dealing with rising infant and maternal mortality rates, attributed to poor healthcare infrastructure and inadequate sanitary conditions.