The Dr. Gustavo Aldereguía Lima General University Hospital in Cienfuegos has been described as a "pigsty." A Cuban citizen shared images revealing the unhygienic and unsanitary conditions of its facilities.
"This is not a landfill, but images from the same ward where patients with dengue fever are treated at the Cienfuegos Hospital, complete with cockroaches to add to the horror," noted the administrator of the Facebook group 'Molinos.'
In his post, activist Yamil Cuéllar highlighted that the decline of the hospital has been ongoing for some time. Even the doctors at the institution recommend that patient families transfer their loved ones to other facilities for their own safety.
"This place stopped being a hospital a long time ago and has turned into a pigsty. It’s no secret that the more responsible doctors advise families to take their sick relatives home to avoid greater harm because you enter with one condition and leave with another," Cuéllar said.
Photographs shared in his post revealed the filth and decay of the hospital's facilities. Broken doors, filthy bathrooms, old and rusted furniture, piles of garbage—the dengue ward at the Cienfuegos Hospital is a scandal for the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) of the Cuban regime, led by José Ángel Portal Miranda.
The collapse of public health services has been evident for decades in Cuba, but it wasn't until the advent of mobile data and social media that these issues began to gain visibility and prominence in Cuban public opinion. The coronavirus pandemic exacerbated this situation, laying bare the failures of the regime's propaganda machine.
"The so-called Cuban medical powerhouse: this is the result of communism," commented one user on Cuéllar's post. "My God, in a hospital like that, you must die of something!" exclaimed another.
"I believe it because I've experienced it... That provincial hospital is disgusting... Visitors are only shown the lobby, the best-prepared wards. They don’t even peek into the other wards... It's all a farce," corroborated one internet user. "This isn’t an enemy-paid setup; the hospital is just like that: clogged toilets… disgusting," added another.
"My family just went through that horror, cockroaches and all! Excellent exposure," expressed one user. "It's very true. The medical staff is very special and competent, but the hygiene is chaotic in every aspect," another pointed out.
Last August, activist Raúl González reported that there were no pain relief medications at the Cienfuegos Hospital, where he was admitted for a heart condition. "They are slowly killing me; the dictatorship is killing me here. I won’t make it out of this; from here, it’s straight to the cemetery," he lamented.
In February 2023, María De los Ángeles Pérez González shared on social media the ordeal her mother went through at the hospital after being diagnosed with a severe kidney infection. According to her daughter, the elderly woman died due to a lack of antibiotics to continue her treatment.
In May 2022, it was reported that the hospital management had finally unclogged the toilets in the Respiratory Care ward (12A) after a complaint was posted on Facebook.
"Administrative staff responded by saying it’s an 'unsolvable problem.' I wonder if it's the patients or their families who should resolve it, or do we have to wait for a high-level visit to be directed to this ward?" the complainant wrote.
In August 2021, at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, Cubans reported the collapse of the Cienfuegos Hospital. "The communist regime couldn't provide a good quality of life to Cubans in 61 years of dictatorship without a pandemic... It won’t do so now during one of the worst pandemics in history," a Cuban expressed, scandalized by the failure of Cuba's public health system.
FAQs on the State of Cienfuegos Hospital
Here are some frequently asked questions about the alarming conditions at the Dr. Gustavo Aldereguía Lima General University Hospital in Cienfuegos.
What are the main issues reported at Cienfuegos Hospital?
The hospital has been reported to have unhygienic conditions, including dirt, decay, broken doors, filthy bathrooms, and cockroach infestations.
Who brought attention to these issues?
Activist Yamil Cuéllar and other citizens have highlighted these issues by sharing images and personal experiences on social media.
How has the government responded to these complaints?
The administrative staff has often deemed these problems as 'unsolvable,' though some issues have been addressed following social media outcry.
What impact has the coronavirus pandemic had on the hospital?
The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the already dire conditions, highlighting the failures of Cuba's public health system.