US Embargo Strangles Cuban Medical Patients

More than 95,000 patients are awaiting surgeries in Cuba, including over 5,000 cancer procedures, while nearly 2,900 hemodialysis patients have suffered treatment disruptions due to water and electricity failures, as Cuba’s Ministry of Public Health (Minsap) reported in Mid June.

Deputy Minister Carilda Peña García detailed on state television how the tightened U.S. economic and energy blockade severely hampers the island’s health sector.

The intensified U.S. restrictions have blocked the acquisition of diagnostic inputs and vaccine‑production materials, while fuel shortages and financial hurdles have compromised approved public health protocols.

Peña added that chronic patients requiring prolonged treatment cannot achieve a better quality of life under the current sanctions. Infrastructure problems also plague institutions: some hospitals lack elevators and laundry resources, poor building conditions persist, and transport shortages impede the delivery of supplies to clinics as well as the movement of doctors and nurses.

Despite the pressures, the deputy minister stated that the sector has applied “reengineering measures” with the premise of not closing any health unit, maintaining services where possible, and optimizing existing resources. However, environmental conditions are deteriorating: high seasonal temperatures, humidity, garbage accumulation linked to the fuel crisis, and water leaks are fostering breeding grounds for the Aedes aegypti mosquito – vector for dengue and chikungunya.

Peña recalled that a recent epidemic of those diseases occurred on the island. While the current rate of suspected dengue cases is “very low,” she warned that localized outbreaks remain possible because the arbovirus is still circulating in Cuba.

The Cuban government has consistently argued that the tightened U.S. commercial and energy siege, along with sanctions imposed since early 2026, are the main cause of shortages of essential supplies and basic goods on the island.

Author: Victor Miranda

Source: EFE