The Cuban biopharmaceutical industry has only produced 59% of the basic catalog of medicines destined for the public health system, official media reported this Saturday.
The president of the state business group BioCubaFarma, Dr. Eduardo Martínez, explained, according to the official newspaper Granmathat of the “basic table of medicines” made up of 627 products, currently “369 are produced”.
President of #BioCubaFarma reports on the situation of medicines produced by the sector in the Health and Sports Commission of the @AsambleaCuba. pic.twitter.com/wRHJKOX9uW
– BioCubaFarma (@BioCubaFarma) May 13, 2022
Until April, Martínez acknowledged, “143 medicines were missing in one or more provinces.”
Under normal conditions, the 45 companies of the BioCubaFarma group produce “996 products” to contribute to the national market and of which 757 are supplied directly to the Public Health system. The figure has been cut due to the economic crisis in the country, exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
According to Martínez, “among the main causes of medicine shortages are the unavailability of raw materials and necessary materials (94%) and plant shutdowns due to breakage or maintenance (6%)”.
Martínez reiterated that behind the non-availability of supplies are often the economic sanctions of the United States against Cuba.
Cuba produced in 2021 only 34% of its portfolio of medicines
These statements emerged during the debates of the Health and Sports Commission, prior to the Fifth Extraordinary Session of the National Assembly of People’s Power, in its IX Legislature.
During the past year, remember Eph, there was a serious shortage of basic medicines, which affected treatments for diseases such as arthritis; in addition to compromising therapies with antihistamines, anxiolytics and antidepressants, among others.
Efe/OnCuba.
