The Manuel Ascunce Domenech University Hospital in Camagüey recently took to Facebook to address accusations made by exiled independent journalist José Luis Tan Estrada. Tan Estrada had shared a video showcasing appalling conditions in the hospital's restrooms, including filthy floors, overflowing waste, and broken toilets.
Rather than outlining specific repair plans, the hospital's management acknowledged the building's deficiencies with a telling statement: "We may have moldy walls, but our foundation is strong, built on the expertise of our staff and the dedication of every single one of our workers."
The statement was accompanied by images of employees cleaning corridors, bathrooms, stairways, and clogged toilets, presented as evidence of the staff's "morality" and "commitment," rather than a response to a public health crisis.
In explaining the decay, the institution adhered to the regime's usual narrative: "We urge everyone to expose the true causes behind the lack of construction intervention in these areas: the genocidal blockade, and the economic and social suffocation policies imposed on our people."
Tan Estrada, known for his documentation of the healthcare system's conditions in Camagüey, was directly discredited by the hospital: "Behind every photo and every comment lies a real objective that isn't to improve conditions, but to discredit our system and our leaders. All of this is orchestrated from outside the country and executed by those without allegiance, lacking the knowledge and moral authority for such accusations."
The ending of the statement was equally telling: "We will not allow the real needs of our hospital to be used as an attack on the revolution."
Reports about the Ascunce Domenech Hospital are neither recent nor isolated. In November 2025, ceiling collapses in operating rooms forced the suspension of scheduled surgeries. Early 2026 saw reports of sewage water beneath patients' beds. By June of that year, the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights released photos showing green water on floors, exposed wires, moss, and rodents in the outpatient surgery area.
In September, Tan Estrada published a video displaying flooded bathrooms in the surgical wing of the same hospital. Just four days prior to this latest institutional statement, the journalist reported an 85-year-old lung cancer patient suffering from a bedbug infestation, worsened by power outages preventing hospital linens from being washed at temperatures necessary to eradicate eggs and larvae.
This pattern of response—acknowledging shortcomings, blaming the embargo, and attacking critics—is not new for the hospital or the broader system. In June 2026, when confronted with a similar accusation, the institution replied, "Criticism is easy, but take a moment to think before you speak," without announcing any corrective action. The Ministry of Public Health employed an identical strategy in February 2025 in response to complaints about the dire conditions in another Cuban hospital.
Understanding the Crisis at Manuel Ascunce Domenech Hospital
What are the main issues at Manuel Ascunce Domenech Hospital?
The hospital has been reported to have severe sanitation issues, including dirty floors, overflowing waste, broken toilets, sewage water under patient beds, and rodent infestations.
How has the hospital management responded to the criticism?
The management acknowledged the poor conditions but emphasized the dedication of their staff, attributing the lack of improvements to the economic blockade rather than announcing any specific repair plans.
Who is José Luis Tan Estrada?
José Luis Tan Estrada is an independent journalist in exile who has been documenting the conditions of the healthcare system in Camagüey, Cuba, often highlighting issues through videos and reports.