In an effort to address pain management, both acute and chronic, Matanzas is set to launch a comprehensive multidisciplinary service this September. This initiative comes at a time when the region, much like the rest of Cuba, is grappling with longstanding unresolved healthcare issues, as reported by the state-run agency ACN last Thursday.
The project, spearheaded by Dr. Adriano Alfonso Padrón, an anesthesiologist and head of the new service, is described as "a specialized service focused on the diagnosis and treatment of pain with a holistic and multidisciplinary approach." The service will offer consultations starting on Mondays, where specialists such as neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, and trauma doctors will collaborate to address various painful conditions in one location.
Initially, procedures will be conducted in a designated area within the provincial Oncology Hospital. This space is designed to accommodate more complex interventions in later stages for patients with various painful conditions.
The provincial consultation will operate out of the former maternity hospital in the capital of Matanzas, accessible via referrals from primary and secondary care levels.
Innovative Techniques and Traditional Practices
The planned techniques include ozone therapy in its various forms, platelet-rich plasma, ultrasound-guided blocks, therapeutic ultrasound, acupuncture, and electrotherapy. Additionally, the service will have nearly full-time support from a specialist in natural and traditional medicine.
This project stems from research at the University of Medical Sciences of Matanzas and is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Trade's Directorate in the province. Dr. Alfonso Padrón also emphasized a special focus on humanized childbirth, linked to the flow of pregnant women from the José Ramón López Tabrane Gynecology and Obstetrics Teaching Hospital, aiming to apply analgesics during labor.
Healthcare System Struggles
Despite the announcement, Matanzas faces a bleak healthcare reality that belies any notion of progress. Throughout 2026, the province halted elective surgeries in February to prioritize emergencies and oncology, documented 18 active cases of hepatitis A in the Versalles neighborhood in April, identified its first dengue cases of the season in June, and dealt with a bedbug infestation at the López Tabrane Gynecology and Obstetrics Hospital—the same facility the new pain service plans to link with its humanized childbirth program.
Over 300,000 residents in the province suffer from unstable water supplies, as acknowledged by Vice Prime Minister Inés María Chapman.
The deterioration is not confined to Matanzas alone. In February, Health Minister José Ángel Portal Miranda conceded that Cuba's healthcare system was "on the brink of collapse." In March, the UN reported nearly 100,000 postponed surgeries across the island and launched a $94.1 million emergency plan. For months, 461 out of 651 essential medications have been unavailable in state pharmacies.
This health crisis pattern is echoed nationwide. Reports surfaced over the weekend of pregnant women in Contramaestre's hospital having to carry buckets of water upstairs due to a lack of basic services. Recently, it's also been revealed that private economic actors have taken to supplying pediatric hospitals with essentials, such as juices, amid shortages.
In this environment, Matanzas' pain management initiative stands out as a minor advancement amid a systemic collapse that the regime itself has acknowledged, yet has been exacerbated by 67 years of dictatorship, rendering it irreversible without systemic change.
Understanding the Pain Management Initiative in Matanzas
What is the main goal of the new pain management service in Matanzas?
The main goal is to provide comprehensive and multidisciplinary care for both acute and chronic pain, with a focus on diagnosis and treatment in a single location.
Where will the initial procedures for pain management take place?
Initial procedures will be conducted in a specially designated area within the provincial Oncology Hospital in Matanzas.
Which specialists will be involved in the pain management consultations?
The consultations will include specialists such as neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, and trauma doctors, among others.