Cuban Doctor Calls for International Medical Assistance Amid Rising Cases of Pneumonia and Undiagnosed Deaths

Dr. Lázaro Elieser Leyva García, a Cuban internist with academic training in Spain, has raised the alarm about a surge in cases of severe pneumonia and unexplained deaths in Cuba. He is urging for international medical support to address the crisis.

In a Facebook post, Leyva clarified that his comments are “merely a personal reflection from my medical perspective” and emphasized that “I do not claim this is the explanation,” but rather a possibility that should be responsibly examined amidst the country’s diagnostic uncertainty.

Known online as Lázaro E. Libre and collaborating with CiberCuba, the doctor detailed that recent weeks have seen rapid-onset pneumonia, with severe cases among children and young adults, and a rise in deaths without definitive diagnosis.

According to Leyva, these cases do not align solely with arboviral infections, suggesting the need to broaden clinical and epidemiological hypotheses.

In his reflection, the doctor posed a question shared by many Cubans: If Cuba undertook mass vaccination against COVID-19, how can these symptoms possibly be linked to the virus again?

His scientific response is that vaccination does not ensure lasting or sustained immunity against new variants, noted the doctor, who has consistently shown deep concern for his fellow countrymen through social media.

Leyva reminded that Cuba's Abdala and Soberana vaccines initially helped reduce complications, but were never assessed by the World Health Organization nor verified by external agencies to measure their true duration of protection.

Moreover, he added, these vaccines were not studied against subsequent variants nor was their long-term efficacy documented.

The physician stressed that, lacking diagnostic testing and variant sequencing, healthcare professionals are facing atypical cases without adequate tools.

“Medicine relies on data, and when data is absent, all reasonable hypotheses must be considered,” he wrote.

In his message, Leyva firmly demanded that Cuba requires international medical, diagnostic, and epidemiological aid, and that the government must request and permit it.

“We are not in times of pride; we are in times of protecting lives,” the doctor expressed, echoing fears for the population.

The specialist concluded his reflection with a call to amplify his message: “If we cannot raise our voices through official channels, we will do so through these means. Let the world hear what Cuba cannot say out loud. For our families, for our children, for our people.”

The concern over the collapse of Cuba's healthcare system has been echoed by various medical and social voices in recent weeks.

Father Alberto Reyes, from Camagüey, accused the regime of worsening the crisis by denying reality and failing to take responsibility for the deterioration in medical care and access to medicines.

Similarly, another Cuban doctor warned that the country needs immediate medical intervention, highlighting that professionals lack basic supplies and diagnostics to save lives.

The situation is so dire that, according to his testimony, they are dealing with clinical conditions without even knowing for sure what they are treating.

From exile, Cuban doctors have also demanded urgent responses from the regime to the rise in respiratory illnesses and unexplained deaths, calling for the admission of humanitarian aid, scientific cooperation, and free access to verified medical information.