Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Havana, Feb 16.- More than 32,880 pregnant women will face additional risks, threats, and limitations as a consequence of the United States government's energy blockade against Cuba, while other vital services for newborn patients, minors, diabetics, those undergoing oncology treatments, or in need of surgical interventions or emergencies are seriously affected as the days go by.
This has been revealed by the Cuban Ministry of Public Health which, since the serious situation of the covid-19 pandemic, has made enormous efforts to mitigate the multiple challenges in guaranteeing vital services to the population, in the midst of a cruel economic war that directly impacts people's lives.
The fuel deficit generates affectations in the prioritized care for Maternal and Child Health, with limitations that include difficulties in pregnant women's access to obstetric ultrasounds for monitoring fetal well-being and genetic ultrasounds for the timely diagnosis of malformations.
Likewise, it causes limitations for the mobilization of commissions caring for extremely severe maternal morbidity and critical newborns, delays in the childhood vaccination schedule, puts the lives of children with special needs at risk (home ventilation, mechanical aspiration, and air conditioning), among other problems, such as the very scarce availability of medical transport for emergency and urgent care.
These affectations could have a significant impact on the more than 61,830 infants under one year of age who require special care in that first stage of life.
Furthermore, it limits attention to medical emergencies, cancer patients, and the follow-up of programs for chronic non-communicable and communicable diseases, which directly causes an increase in mortality in the country.
The new arbitrary measures against the Cuban people will continue to increase the difficulties in obtaining medications, supplies, reagents, disposable materials, medical instruments, as well as the purchase of equipment and spare parts, or will, in some way, affect the full vitality of hospitals, special wards, operating rooms, and intensive care units.
In this regard, the decrease in the frequency of commercial flights and the increase in freight prices hinder access to medications and other essential resources in the Health System, including those transported urgently.
Faced with the described challenges and many others, which we will elaborate on in future comments, Cuban health personnel and institutions strive day and night to ensure our people the medical care and human support they have always provided, which has become an unrenounceable conquest, no matter how difficult the circumstances caused by the intensification of the economic war, which resorts to the crime of depriving a country of fuel and putting the lives of millions of people at risk. (Granma Digital) (Photo: Taken from Internet)
