Patricia, a geriatric doctor residing in Havana, endured over 100 continuous hours without electricity, watching helplessly as her limited food supply spoiled. Her apartment building also lost the ability to pump water, exacerbating the fatigue that was beginning to impact her health.
The Food Monitor Program shared her ordeal in an article titled "Patricia's Diary: Over 100 Hours Without Power." The piece details her experience as her electrical circuit remained disconnected for more than four days, approaching a total of 120 hours without service.
The first casualty of the blackout was her food. A mamey smoothie and boiled pumpkin went bad, followed by the thawing of sausages and meat stored in her freezer—items sent by friends abroad who had pooled money to help her maintain a better diet.
Water Shortage Adds to the Crisis
The power outage also halted the water supply in her building. After four days without being able to turn on the motor, Patricia feared she soon wouldn’t have enough water to cook or drink, all while the food she struggled to preserve continued to deteriorate.
Her medical background intensified the distress of the situation. Patricia was acutely aware of the dangers of consuming food that has lost refrigeration and considered the potential health risks in a country where obtaining medication and medical supplies has become a daily challenge.
Financial Struggles Compound the Burden
Beyond domestic hardships, financial concerns persist. Patricia’s salary as a doctor doesn’t exceed 7,000 pesos a month, which must cover food, hygiene products, bills, and often her transport to the hospital where she works.
As a geriatrician, she has observed a noticeable decline in her patients over the past five years, particularly among the elderly who struggle to maintain a proper diet. She experiences the frustration of advising families on their needs while knowing many simply cannot afford them.
The stress reached a tipping point after several days without power, leading her to consider banging pots in protest. However, recalling the fate of those imprisoned for participating in the July 11th protests, she hesitated, fearing incarceration and leaving her patients without her care.
The Unbearable Weight of Reality
For Patricia, the daily reality is overwhelming: returning from the hospital to a dark home, without water, and watching the food her friends worked hard to provide spoil beyond rescue.
She concludes her narrative by comparing this deterioration to what she feels accumulating within herself after enduring months and years of ongoing crisis.
Cuban doctors face some of the most challenging circumstances in the country. They receive meager wages that barely cover basic needs, yet they bear the burden of knowing how crucial their work is for a population increasingly battered by crisis.
Many Cuban physicians are caught between the necessity of surviving and the responsibility of not abandoning their patients. Patricia's story is far from unique, echoing other recent accounts from Cuban healthcare professionals.
In May, Liliana Isabel Salazar Villariño, a specialist in Comprehensive General Medicine, explained that she stopped practicing because her salary was insufficient to feed her child, despite working over five shifts a month.
That same month, another reality was revealed when a Cuban doctor began selling flan to supplement her income after her hospital salary proved inadequate for her family's basic needs.
By the end of June, Dr. Daniel Del Toro González from Las Tunas Pediatric Hospital shared another perspective on the same issue: continuing to work despite operating "with what is available, not with what is needed," in a country that seems to drive its doctors away to better-paying jobs.
This exhaustion is visible in the statistics. Data from the National Office of Statistics and Information indicates that Cuba's registered doctors fell from 106,131 in 2021 to 75,364 in 2024, a drop of 30,767 professionals in just three years amid the exodus and abandonment of positions within the sector.
The Impact of Power Outages on Cuban Healthcare
How did the power outage affect Patricia's health and daily life?
The extended power outage caused Patricia significant distress as it led to her food spoiling and a lack of water supply in her building, affecting her health and overall well-being.
What are the financial challenges faced by Cuban doctors like Patricia?
Cuban doctors, including Patricia, face financial difficulties due to low salaries that do not cover basic needs, forcing them to find alternative sources of income or struggle financially.
Why do some Cuban doctors consider leaving the profession?
Many Cuban doctors consider leaving the profession due to inadequate pay and the challenging working conditions, which push them towards better-paying jobs elsewhere.