Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, stated that healthcare is a core social achievement that must never be neglected. He made these remarks at the conclusion of a visit to the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP).
The visit — which, according to the Presidency, took place over several days — encompassed primary, secondary and tertiary care institutions, as well as entities within the sector’s business system. It included discussions among executives, specialists, staff, patients and their families.
Such visits are part of the Party leadership’s working method to monitor the implementation of economic and social transformations and to provide guidance to grassroots organizations.
In dialogue with Party members and management councils, the Head of State emphasized that, in Cuba, healthcare is upheld as a universal right — describing it as “a fundamental human right, an achievement of the Revolution, and neither a commodity nor a privilege.”
He acknowledged the altruism, ethics, and professionalism of the sector’s workers, who face the same shortages as the general population.
Addressing the participants, he noted that this concluding session took place just hours after Cuba’s victory at the United Nations—for the 34th consecutive time — where the majority of nations reaffirmed their condemnation of the United States’ economic, commercial, and financial blockade against Cuba, a situation exacerbated by an energy embargo and various coercive measures.
This support, he stated, serves as recognition of the “creative resistance” of the Cuban people — a group that includes the nation’s healthcare personnel. The meeting was attended by Political Bureau members Roberto Morales Ojeda — Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee — and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, along with Deputy Prime Minister Eduardo Martínez Díaz.
Minister of Public Health José Ángel Portal Miranda explained that the complex situation within the sector has created limitations that hinder the performance of the National Health System, leading to “justified dissatisfaction among the population regarding the services we provide.”
Among the challenges, he cited shortages of critical medications, medical supplies, reagents, and high-tech equipment, as well as issues with infrastructure systems — including elevators, boilers, power generators, water supply and medical transport.
Despite this, the Minister affirmed that no institutions have been closed; all hospitals and polyclinics remain operational, maintaining high volumes of consultations and surgical procedures.
The President noted that more than 90,000 people are awaiting surgery, tens of thousands are experiencing disruptions to radiotherapy, chemotherapy and dialysis treatments, and over 34,000 pregnant women are not receiving the full range of required care and follow-ups.
The vaccination program — one of the most robust in the world — has reached a 95% coverage rate, and the country continues to allocate 24% of the state budget to public health, amounting to over 76 billion pesos.
Díaz-Canel denounced a media campaign that characterizes Cuban medical brigades as a form of human trafficking, as well as the pressure exerted on foreign governments to discontinue their presence — though most nations have chosen to retain them.
He reiterated the nation’s admiration and gratitude toward the doctors, nurses, and support staff who, despite enduring long power outages and a lack of transportation, arrive at their posts every day to sustain essential health services.
IMAGE CREDIT: ACN | Photos: Estudios Revolución
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
