{"id":272242,"date":"2023-07-02T07:19:49","date_gmt":"2023-07-02T11:19:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=272242"},"modified":"2023-07-02T07:19:49","modified_gmt":"2023-07-02T11:19:49","slug":"crisis-of-medical-supplies-and-medicines-known-causes-new-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/cuba\/crisis-of-medical-supplies-and-medicines-known-causes-new-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"Crisis of medical supplies and medicines: known causes, new challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Iraida, 69, tripped over the wheelchair of her 94-year-old mother while she was taking care of her, she did not calculate that her fall would mean that she would spend three weeks in the hospital. She was admitted to the Arnaldo Mili\u00e1n Castro Provincial University Hospital in Santa Clara, where the doctors indicated a hip replacement.<\/span><\/p>\n

The prosthesis would have to arrive through an international family shipment or, otherwise, Iraida would have to join the list of older adults with a hip fracture who have been waiting, for six months, for a surgical intervention at said facility in Villa Clara.<\/span><\/p>\n

Iraida\u2019s emigrant relatives tried to buy it in the informal Cuban market to expedite the operation. A shipment from Europe, where they reside, could take time. However, they did not find it, not even for the 10,000 pesos that they were willing to pay.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, after more than ten days of travel, the prosthesis arrived from Europe. With this, other essential materials for Iraida\u2019s operation and of whose shortage the relatives in the hospital were alerted; such as gloves, trocars, antibiotics and sterile material for dressings.<\/span><\/p>\n

The story, however, is not exclusive to Villa Clara. At the end of 2022, Minister of Public Health Jos\u00e9 \u00c1ngel Portal <\/span>acknowledged<\/span><\/a> before the Parliament\u2019s Health and Sports Commission that throughout Cuba \u201cthe health system, in addition to presenting difficulties in the supply of medicines,\u201d faced \u201climitations in basic lines of expendable material.\u201d In the area, \u201c69 lacking and 23 with low coverages\u201d were then quantified.<\/span><\/p>\n

Among the \u201ccritical resources\u201d at the time, the minister highlighted \u201ccatheters, transfusion equipment, hip replacements, collectors, among others.\u201d According to information obtained by this writer, other vital supplies that are lacking are syringes, ligatures to channel veins, anesthesia, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

In an attempt to distribute what is not enough and alleviate the situation, Portal reported that they were \u201cmaking balances in the country, based on availability in the territories.\u201d In addition, he reiterated \u201cthe commitment to continue seeking a solution to such a sensitive issue.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Six months after his statements, the lack of resources, medical supplies and medicines, a problem that is not new, continues. In fact, the general perception is that it has gotten worse.<\/span><\/p>\n

And time went by<\/b><\/p>\n

The year 2021 marked the beginning of the most critical stage for Cuba in terms of scarcity of medical resources. In the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) balance <\/span>report<\/span><\/a> for that year recorded \u201cthe sustained increase in shortages and low coverage of medicines, diagnostics, expendables and other supplies for medical care.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Luck was no different in 2022. The annual <\/span>balance<\/span><\/a> of the sector showed that \u201cthe sustained deficit of low or null coverage of medicines and medical supplies\u201d was maintained.<\/span><\/p>\n

Crisis de medicamentos en Cuba. Cronolog\u00edas y perspectivas<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n