A video circulating on social media depicts a patient being transported to the Camilo Cienfuegos Provincial Hospital in Sancti Spíritus using a horse-drawn carriage. This scene starkly highlights the collapse of Cuba's healthcare system.
Shared on Facebook by Omar Rensoli, the video titled "This is how a sick person is taken to the Provincial Hospital of Sancti Spíritus" quickly amassed over 121,000 views, more than 3,300 reactions, and 524 comments.
Rensoli's accompanying caption lamented, "It pains the soul to see what communism has done to Cuba."
The footage captures a voice commenting on the absence of orderlies, underscoring that the problem extends beyond external transportation and into the hospital's internal operations.
Recurring Healthcare Failures in Sancti Spíritus
Cantalo TV also shared the video, noting that patients sometimes arrive at the provincial hospital in horse-drawn carts, with reports of even deceased individuals being transported this way.
This is not an isolated incident. In August 2021, in San Germán, Holguín, horse-drawn carriages were used to transport patients due to a lack of ambulances, with government approval. At that time, Holguín had only 57 operational ambulances for a need of 200. A month later, an elderly woman was moved in a wheelbarrow for the same reason.
Sancti Spíritus has long faced similar complaints. In 2021, the main hospital's collapse during the pandemic peak was publicly acknowledged. By August 2022, the Trinidad hospital was operating without an intensive care doctor or a functioning intensive care unit, with a broken console left unrepaired for over three months.
National Health Crisis Escalates
By 2026, Cuba's healthcare crisis reached what the Pan American Health Organization labeled an "unprecedented crisis": 385 health facilities damaged, widespread shortages of medications, reagents, and antibiotics, and power outages lasting up to 20 hours daily crippling X-ray, ultrasound, and CT equipment.
This year, Health Minister José Ángel Portal Miranda admitted the need to restrict surgeries to urgent or emergency cases due to the energy crisis and resource scarcity. The Miami Herald bluntly stated that in Cuba, "there is no transport for the sick."
The regime's efforts to address the ambulance shortage have been insufficient and largely focused on Havana. In July 2025, the government introduced 15 new ambulances in the capital and announced the acquisition of 50 more. In December, Russia donated three ambulances to Cuba. However, interior provinces like Sancti Spíritus remain excluded from these partial restocks.
Despite official announcements of figures and donations, Cuban patients continue to arrive at hospitals via animal-drawn means, a reality that Rensoli poignantly described as "soul-crushing."
Frequently Asked Questions about Cuba's Healthcare Crisis
What does the video shared by Omar Rensoli show?
The video shows a patient being transported to the Camilo Cienfuegos Provincial Hospital in Sancti Spíritus using a horse-drawn carriage, highlighting the failures of Cuba's healthcare system.
How has the Cuban government attempted to address the ambulance shortage?
The Cuban government has made efforts to increase the number of ambulances, such as introducing new vehicles in Havana and receiving donations from Russia. However, these efforts have not reached all areas, leaving many provinces without adequate transportation.