Emigration and the stampede to other sectors have made the lack of health personnel the most alarming problem
14ymedio, Havana, 17 December 2024 — The deputies who make up the Health and Sports Committee of the Cuban Parliament received a dose of reality during the last few months in a province-by-province tour. The situation – triggered by the passage of two hurricanes, several earthquakes and the energy debacle – is summarized in a litany of “problems” ranging from the lack of specialists to the “illegal occupation” of clinics.
Cristina Luna Morales, president of the commission, explained on Monday that the deputies had traveled to 39 municipalities in 15 provinces, inspected 98 institutions and talked directly with more than 2,000 Cubans. Emigration and the stampede to other sectors have made the lack of health personnel the most alarming problem in these communities.
“The managerial staff in primary care are not covered, and the heads of basic groups are incomplete. Instead, comprehensive general medical specialists are certified to assume this function, which makes it difficult to assist patients,” said Luna Morales. The situation is especially critical in Camagüey, Sancti Spíritus and Havana. In addition, people do not know who can help them after a reorganization of the clinic staff, given the number of empty positions that exist.
Cuban Health has applied the same formula as other sectors: send students to fill incomplete positions
Cuban Health has applied the same formula as other sectors: send medical students from their third year of study to fill unstaffed positions. The deputy claimed that the measure, although urgent, is “well-designed” and contributes to the training of students.
Significantly damaged, clinics and other health facilities also present a deplorable picture. Located in rural areas, which the transport crisis has made almost inaccessible, many of the clinics have multiple “deficiencies in the constructive state,” and, although they were included in the “maintenance plans” of the Ministry of Construction, the problem will persist. In addition, the “clinical and non-clinical furniture” are in poor condition.
For his part, the Minister of Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, alluded to the “challenges” faced by his portfolio in the face of the outbreaks of dengue and Oropouche fevers, two diseases that have hit the Cuban population in recent months. He also criticized the municipal and provincial governments for not including the improvement of clinics in their annual budgets.
“There are problems of organization and discipline, which have to do with the territory; we have been affected by the migratory flow and the departure of professionals in the sector, especially in hospitals. There are also problems in the living conditions for doctors, which must be discussed,” he enumerated.
He asked for more attention to the elderly, who make up 35% of the Island’s population according to official figures. He summarized the state of Cuban health in numbers but did not provide any details about the real situation of health care: “Primary health care has 451 polyclinics and 11,458 medical offices, of which 1,122 are located in the community; 168 in educational centers, 67 in universities, 91 in workplaces and other institutions,” he said.
In the Comments section of the Cubadebate report, several readers drew attention to other problems in the sector
In the Comments section of the Cubadebate report, several readers drew attention to other problems in the sector, to which the deputies did not allude. “What they must analyze is the total lack of medicines. Even if the doctor is in the office, you have to look on the street for what he tells you to take, and at astronomical prices, including dentistry material. That didn’t happen in the Special Period as we are seeing it now. I do not see that analysis beyond mentioning it, not even projections.”
“Our health system, hospitals and doctors have become accustomed to all resources being sought outside the institution. That is, for any intervention they ask patients to look for everything, even [surgical] gloves. Have they done that analysis?” asked another. “Please, I hope that in the upper spheres they are aware of this; if not the communication between the ministry and the institutions is very bad.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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