00:00The Cuban health care system is one of the sectors most severely affected by the strengthening of the United States'
00:07blockade against the Caribbean island.
00:09Our correspondent Jordanis Rodriguez brings us closer to the sector's present situation with the following report.
00:20According to Cuba's Ministry of Public Health, more than 32,000 pregnant women could be a risk due to the
00:27fuel shortage associated with the tightening of the United States' blockade.
00:36Everything is very difficult, as I had to travel far for doctor's appointments.
00:40Well, actually, everything is very difficult. As for medication, whatever the doctors have available.
00:50We're very much affected by the fuel shortage.
00:55We have two generators that guarantee the emergency system in the wards,
01:02in the neonatology unit, and in the intensive care unit.
01:08But we have had major issues where we have found ourselves in the position of having to perform surgeries
01:13by the light of a flashlight, a cell phone, or a rechargeable lamp.
01:17Because the generator takes a while to start up, and it affects us.
01:21We've had to use these resources in the middle of an operation to be able to treat the patients.
01:26We're also greatly affected by the lack of supplies to perform surgeries, deliveries, and birds.
01:33The energy shortage limits the transfer of patients, obstetric studies, and the mobility of the specialized teams to treat maternal
01:41and neonatal complications.
01:47As part of our strategy, we will admit all pregnant women who are ready to forgive birth.
01:51We will admit them.
01:52The hospital environment is not the best at the moment.
01:54We're all aware of the shortcomings of the hospital.
01:56We all know about the water shortage, the power outages in the hospital,
02:00even though the hospital protects services such as intensive care, neonatology, and delivery rooms.
02:04But the ward does suffer power cuts, and it is important that patients know that they will be in these
02:08conditions.
02:09They will always be accompanied by medical staff on duty, who will look after them and protect them throughout this
02:14period.
02:14We're affected by regions, regions that allow us to make timely and early diagnosis of diseases and pathologies associated with
02:26pregnancy.
02:28These are major issues that we face.
02:31We also have a deficit and obsolescence of the technology we work with.
02:34In response to the emergency, the health system reorganizes protocols to allocate fuel to essential services.
02:41It prioritizes maternal and child care and adjusts the surgical schedule.
02:45But igualmente se están instalando una serie de opciones en el programa energético.
02:50A series of alternatives are also being introduced in the energy program.
02:57Public clinics that perform a series of genetic ultrasounds will be powered at certain times by solar panel groups
03:04that should be arriving and being installed in the next 15 to 20 days in different public health areas.
03:09Even with this health care system under pressure, public health remains a priority for Cuba.
03:21The new 10%...
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