While donations are at a minimum, people increasingly offer in exchange for money, food, or even a high-end cell phone.
14ymedio, Madrid, 23 June 2025 — With a population estimated at 404,037, the health authorities of Sancti Spíritus estimate that 12,000 blood donations are needed throughout the year. However, in 2024 they were just 7,252, the lowest level in the last five years. Failing to reach the goal of 1,000 donations per month, they have to turn to the families of patients who can donate or to the lucrative black-market blood-selling business.
In a report by the provincial newspaper Escambray, the former coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs) of Sancti Spíritus, Jorge Luis Nápoles Marín – replaced in May by Yurkenia Ciriano Alonso – admitted that the organization’s ability to motivate citizens is limited. “This is not going as well as before; it’s a reality that you can’t blame on the blockade or the economic situation,” he says, although he takes care to explain the real reasons: the population’s disaffection towards the regime’s mass organizations, especially the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs).
“Sancti Spíritus has 308,000 CDR members and a plan of 12,000 donations per year. We have plenty of arms to donate”
He admits that there are no healthcare hearings or debates on the subject and accepts the criticism, although his arguments draw attention. “Sancti Spíritus has 308,000 CDR members and a plan of 12,000 donations per year. We have plenty of arms to donate,” he says, regardless of the fact that CDR membership has lost relevance.
The Escambray article, entitled The Virtual Blood Donation Market, reviews the country’s latest official donation data: 254,845 in 2023, compared to 357,665 in 2020. The pandemic, which accelerated the demographic and economic crisis, stands as a definitive turning point for the catastrophe, since between 2014 and 2020 the number fell by just over 57,000 donations, while between 2020 and 2023 the decrease was 102,820.
Among the reasons, which Escambray has asked people connected to the sector about, is the lack of mobile banks. “In Topes de Collantes, donors have been scheduled up to eight times, and they haven’t been able to attend because we don’t have a car,” says Barbarita Altunaga Villas, head of the blood collection center in Trinidad, the area with the worst situation in the province. The outlet states that work is underway to repair a vehicle for this purpose, but also poses a rhetorical question: “Why has the Banco Provincial not had its own facility for more than two years?”
Mirta Santos León, Director of Medical Assistance at the General Directorate of Health, claims that there have been times in recent years when the blood supply situation has become, she points out, a headache, and when there has been a shortage of collection bags. However, although there has been no shortage in 2025, “the problem lies in the willingness to donate.”
Experts consulted by Escambray believe that the loss of quality of the snacks given to volunteers is one of the reasons why the willingness to donate blood has declined. Raumara Ramos, acting director of the Provincial Blood Bank, believes it’s almost essential that the situation improves. “The snacks need to be of better quality. If we go to a place with which we have a contract and they tell us, ‘What we have is mortadella,’ we have to take it.”
The article repeatedly emphasizes that the lack of altruism is increasingly perceptible, and even calls on a sociology expert to speak of a loss of values. “Foreign codes are being adopted because the alternatives conceived within our social system as altruistic, moral, and supportive have ceased to work for a segment of the population,” reproaches José Neira Milián, a doctor in sociology, who believes that this “disdains what has been constructed in terms of human values, the original moral meaning being the intrinsic and authentic value of blood donation.”
Neira Millán describes exchanges—financial or in-kind—for blood donations as “foreign codes,” while admitting that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), altruistic or minimally incentivized donations are the majority worldwide. According to available data, Cuba collects 20 donations per 1,000 inhabitants, far from the 40 recommended by the WHO. Spain, the world leader in blood donation, only gives volunteers a small sandwich and a soft drink and has placed the city of Burgos at the top of the world list , with 60 per thousand inhabitants.
“We’ve looked for ways to get people to donate, and material support is more influential than moral stimulation.”
However, those interviewed by Escambray insist on the “incentive” approach. “We’ve looked for ways to get people to donate, and and material support is more influential than moral stimulation. We’ve stopped holding donor days; we no longer encourage those who are prominent on the block or in the work groups. It’s a botched job for a bank to offer a snack that consists of a poorly prepared sandwich and a soft drink, or not even having a mouthful of coffee to give,” says Nápoles Marín.
“Voluntary donors hardly ever show up, and only the relatives of the patient undergoing surgery attend. We need to encourage more; before, we did the donor activity, they were given a sweater, a module [food or supplies]…” says Raumara Ramos.
“What was done at one point,” says Mirta Santos, “isn’t possible now. And stimulation isn’t just about giving people a package of detergent. The Ministry of Health can guarantee medical care; but there are other things that neither the Ministry of Health nor anyone else can offer because they aren’t available today.” Altunaga Villas, however, maintains that work must be done with the private sector to find something, and reveals that this is already being done in Cienfuegos. “It doesn’t have to be a package of chicken; something always helps,” she adds.
Sonia Sánchez, head of the Transfusion Service of the Hemotherapy Department at the Camilo Cienfuegos General Provincial Hospital, says that about 20 or 30 transfusions are needed every day and gives the example of what happened one day she remembers perfectly: April 25th of this year, when she looked at the statistics, availability was zero.
“Sometimes, not always. When we’ve had the noose around our necks, we’ve had support. In recent days, the government and some companies have pledged to help us,” says Altunaga Villas.
In March 2024, the Provincial Bureau of the Communist Party requested the reactivation of the national blood program, which was in decline—in its opinion, due to “insufficient CDRs”; it is up to them, together with the Ministry of Health, to revitalize this movement,” said its head. Meanwhile, the marketing continues, and those interviewed describe cases in which people are asked for anything from 5,000 to 12,000 pesos or a high-end cell phone without the slightest hesitation right at the door of the provincial Blood Bank. Although those who were clearly doing this at the center have been called to attention, those responsible deny having filed complaints due to lack of evidence. However, they acknowledge: “Everyone knows about this.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
____________
COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.