A half-naked man lying on the pavement was the first thing found by those who approached the Calixto García hospital in Havana this Thursday afternoon. The sad “reception” was just a preview of what they would see inside a room packed with patients, with employees shouting rudely to try to organize the chaos and doctors who can barely prescribe medicines that are not available in any pharmacy.
“My china, you can’t be there!” A hospital worker warned an elderly woman who was on crutches and was waiting for the result of a blood test in a broken tone. “Get up because you can’t stay here if you’re not from this area!” The employee insisted for the lady to move from the waiting room of the urology clinic to the main area, with all the seats occupied.
“They have sent him dipyrone, which is not available in any pharmacy,” the young man warned, “all this time here for nothing”
To one side, the hospital cafeteria made it clear on the menu that it is a “third category” service open 24 hours a day. “Give me an empanada because everything else is very expensive,” complained another patient who was waiting to be treated for fever and a severe headache. “Don’t even ask for the fried rice, it’s half raw,” advised another client of the diffident business who had been excited and paid 100 pesos for the failed recipe.
“Next!” yelled a young woman who had just come from seeing the ENT. A man helped an elderly man up from his seat and two other patients ran for a position after several hours on their feet. After a few minutes, the boy and who looked like his grandfather left the office. “They have sent him dipyrone, which is not available in any pharmacy,” the young man warned, “all this time here for nothing.”
When leaving through the main door, both had to avoid the man who was still lying on the ground, hindering the passage of ambulances and the transfer of patients. “Is he sick? Has someone brought him to be treated?” The old man asked without getting an answer. The sun cut out on the ground the slim figure that no one approached and the noise from inside the building was heard outside. “I don’t want anyone in this area who doesn’t have a practice here!” a rude employee yelled.
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