A Cuban mother named Suramy Cuba has brought attention to a severe cockroach infestation at the Juan Manuel Márquez Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Marianao, Havana, while her daughter was admitted there. She highlighted the issue in a Facebook video, expressing her horror at the conditions.
"It's appalling to be in a hospital where we had to put cotton balls in our ears because cockroaches crawl all over you. It's filthy, especially where such young children are," she stated in the recording. The video has garnered over 72,000 views and approximately 1,741 reactions on the social network.
The footage reveals cockroaches scurrying across the floor, beds, and walls of the room where her daughter is staying. Suramy recounts an unsettling moment when she tried to rest and woke up to find a cockroach crawling on her arm.
Recurring Sanitary Issues in Cuban Hospitals
This complaint is not an isolated incident for this hospital. Back in September 2023, a similar infestation was documented, showing cockroaches on mattresses and the railings of pediatric beds.
Earlier this year, in March, President Miguel Díaz-Canel visited the hospital, amidst reminders from media outlets about its history of scandals, particularly the 2023 incident.
Such patterns of neglect are evident in other medical facilities across the country. The Ángel Arturo Aballí Pediatric Hospital in Havana faced accusations of cockroach and bedbug infestations in February 2025. Just a few months later, in May, the Eduardo Agramonte Piña Pediatric Hospital in Camagüey was reported for issues with cockroaches, stagnant urine, and foul odors. In August 2025, reports surfaced about the Hospital Lenin in Holguín dealing with similar problems, including bedbugs and cockroaches in mattresses and bathrooms without water.
A Symptom of a Larger Health Crisis
The Maternal Hospital of Matanzas also came under fire in June for a bedbug and cockroach infestation, alongside waterless bathrooms. These instances of unsanitary conditions are occurring amidst an unprecedented healthcare collapse in Cuba. Only 30% of the essential national medication list is currently in stock, with 461 out of 651 pharmaceuticals unavailable. Infant mortality has soared to 9.9 per 1,000 live births, more than double the rate in 2018, which was 4.0. Over 11,000 children are awaiting surgery across the nation.
Furthermore, hospitals are struggling with power outages lasting up to twenty hours daily, jeopardizing the preservation of medications and the operation of pediatric intensive care units.
On Tuesday, the humanitarian organization Open Arms arrived in Havana to deliver solar equipment to the pediatric ICU at the very Juan Manuel Márquez Hospital. This initiative highlights the severe deterioration that hospitalized Cuban children are enduring in such facilities.
Understanding the Health Crisis in Cuban Hospitals
What prompted the recent complaint about the Juan Manuel Márquez Pediatric Hospital?
A Cuban mother, Suramy Cuba, reported a severe cockroach infestation in the hospital while her daughter was admitted, highlighting the unsanitary conditions in a Facebook video.
How widespread are these sanitary issues in Cuban hospitals?
Sanitary issues are not isolated to one hospital; similar problems with infestations and poor conditions have been reported in multiple pediatric hospitals throughout Cuba.
What are the broader implications of these issues for Cuba's healthcare system?
These conditions reflect a broader healthcare crisis, with severe shortages of essential medications, increased infant mortality rates, and power outages affecting hospital operations.