Pedro Daniel Bernad, 51 years old and from Zaragoza, underwent emergency surgery after suffering an intestinal volvulus and remains in the ICU. His family is trying to repatriate him to Spain due to the shortage of medical resources.
MADRID, Spain.- Pedro Daniel Bernad Rodríguez, a 51-year-old Spanish citizen, is admitted in critical condition to the Arnaldo Milián Castro Provincial Clinical-Surgical Hospital, in Santa Clara, after suffering an intestinal volvulus that led him to undergo two emergency surgeries and develop subsequent complications. His case has caused a visible commotion in the Spanish media and has once again highlighted the health deficiencies of the hospital center.
Bernad, a native of Épila (Zaragoza), arrived in Cuba on October 3 to spend a few days on vacation. On the 10th of that month he began to feel ill and was transferred to the provincial hospital, where he underwent surgery. Although he initially seemed to stabilize, his condition worsened with pneumonia and other complications that kept him in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), according to media outlets such as The reason and The Aragon Newspaper.
“When you see the conditions it makes your heart skip a beat”
Upon learning of his condition, the family traveled to Cuba to accompany him and has publicly denounced the lack of medical resources to care for him. This is how his brother-in-law described the situation to the newspaper The reason: “When you see the material and hygienic conditions of the hospital, your heart skips a beat. It is a country with very little health infrastructure.”
Among the main deficiencies reported is the lack of essential medications to treat their clinical condition. According to the family, Bernad needed colistin, an antibiotic that was not available at the hospital. They got a small amount externally, but not enough to cover the entire treatment.
The family also expressed their despair at the seriousness of his condition and the feeling of helplessness. They are living “hell,” declared his brother-in-law to The Aragon Newspaperunderscoring the precariousness of care and uncertainty about next steps.
The latest information on the case indicated that it would be transferred to Havana.
Difficult and expensive repatriation
Given the severity of his clinical condition, the family began efforts to repatriate him to Spain. However, they encountered a major obstacle: the insurance company that Bernad hired refused to cover a medical flight from Cuba, claiming that the policy only covers this type of transfer from certain countries.
The estimated cost of the flight amounts to around 150,000 euros, an unaffordable amount for those close to him. In addition, the Spanish Consulate in Cuba informed them that official repatriation is only contemplated in “collective emergency situations.”
The family has publicly insisted that their goal is to be able to transfer him to Spain to guarantee adequate treatment.
Solidarity in Épila
The news has generated a wave of solidarity in Aragón, especially in Épila, his native municipality. The Épila City Council issued an official statement on October 20, in which it expressed its support for the family and confirmed that it maintains contact with relatives displaced to Cuba.
“The City Council is carefully monitoring the evolution of his health status, maintaining permanent contact with the family members who have traveled to the Caribbean country to be by his side. Likewise, the appropriate procedures are being carried out by the competent organizations, with the aim that, when his situation is favorable, his repatriation to Spain is made possible as soon as possible,” declared Mayor Jesús Bazán Sanz.
Neighbors of the municipality have also shown support and have publicly requested that institutional solutions be found to facilitate the medical transfer of the patient.
A health system in crisis
The Bernad family’s complaint once again puts on the table the structural deficiencies of the Cuban health system, affected by shortages of medicines, medical supplies and deterioration of infrastructure. Although the Cuban government projects an image of medical power internationally, the island’s hospitals face serious limitations that affect both the local population and foreign visitors.
