The tragic death of five-year-old Adniel Jesús Jarrosay Almeida has sparked outrage in Santiago de Cuba. While the official narrative claims the boy died from consuming expired and "uncertified" acetaminophen, his mother, Malena Jarrosay Almeida, accuses the authorities of lying to cover up medical negligence and the dire state of the healthcare system.
On September 3, the Provincial Health Directorate of Santiago de Cuba reported that the boy's death at the Carlos J. Finlay polyclinic was due to "exogenous intoxication" from expired medication. However, Malena refuted this claim, showing the original packaging of the Mexican acetaminophen, which is valid until 2027. "It wasn't expired; it was new," she told the portal CubaNet.
The same medication was taken by her 11-year-old nephew, who did not experience any immediate adverse effects but is currently in intensive care due to later complications. The mother recounted that after her son experienced vomiting and a high fever, she took him to the clinic at 8:00 a.m. Despite his fever of 40.9 degrees Celsius, the doctors made her wait over half an hour.
"The doctor was on Facebook while my son convulsed in front of her," she alleged. The child suffered eight seizures in less than an hour, and his condition worsened after being injected with dipyrone. According to a doctor consulted by the family, the symptoms could indicate an anaphylactic shock from the drug, which needed an emergency protocol that was never applied.
The situation became critical when an experienced pediatrician recognized the need to intubate the child, but the clinic lacked the necessary equipment. The ambulance arrived late, and Adniel died shortly before noon after going into respiratory arrest.
Medical System Fails the Vulnerable
The contrast between the official statement and the mother's account highlights not only medical negligence but also the lack of resources in a healthcare system that cannot provide even the most basic necessities to save a child's life. Meanwhile, the family is doubly burdened: by the irreparable loss and by the blame campaign launched by the authorities against the mother, a 26-year-old cancer patient raising two other children in extreme poverty.
The boy's aunt, Yanislay Caboverde Muñoz, reported on social media that the family has faced police pressure and threats to remain silent. "It's a lie, they're covering themselves when they know the boy arrived with a fever of 40, they injected a duralgina into his vein, and he had a heart attack," she wrote on Facebook.
This tragedy unfolds in a context where the Ministry of Public Health acknowledges that the country only has about 30% of the essential medication supply. The shortage forces many families to rely on medicines sent from abroad or bought on the informal market. Blaming a desperate mother becomes the easiest path for a system unable to guarantee even an aspirin in pharmacies and hospitals.
Public Outcry and Government Accountability
The institutional version has provoked public outrage: most Cubans are aware that the government's inability to provide medications in pharmacies pushes families to turn to the informal market. "If there were medications in this country's pharmacies, there wouldn't be a need to buy them on the street without knowing their origin," lamented a Cuban online. Another was more critical: "There would be many more deaths if people couldn't access those medications moving in the black market. Because there's nothing."
The case not only illustrates the dehumanization of a collapsed healthcare system but also the hypocrisy of a government that boasts of its supposed healthcare achievements while abandoning the most vulnerable and criminalizing families who, amid scarcity, do everything possible to save their children.
Key Questions and Answers on Cuban Healthcare Crisis
What caused the death of Adniel Jesús Jarrosay Almeida?
The official report claims it was due to consuming expired medication, but his mother disputes this, citing medical negligence and inadequate healthcare resources.
What has been the public reaction to the official explanation?
The public has expressed anger and disbelief, as many are aware of the healthcare system's failures and the necessity to rely on the informal market for medications.
How does the shortage of medications impact Cuban families?
The scarcity forces families to depend on medicines from abroad or the informal market, as the government cannot provide adequate supplies in pharmacies and hospitals.