Matanzas/The death of a two-year-old child on February 14 has unleashed public complaints against the Eliseo Noel Caamaño Pediatric Hospital, the main pediatric institution in Matanzas. The mother’s statements, along with those of other families who have suffered similar experiences and the testimonies of medical students in training, describe a panorama of negligence, institutional abuse, delays and lack of material and human resources.
In an official statement “with the aim of responding to the concerns of the community and offering transparency about the care provided,” the hospital assured that it had acted under “strict compliance with the protocols.” According to the statement, the baby underwent tests, received broad-spectrum antibiotics and was initially stable. He subsequently presented neurological complications, was transferred to the Progressive Care Unit and, despite support measures and mechanical ventilation, developed generalized sepsis that led to irreversible septic shock. The results of the autopsy are awaited to determine the definitive causes.
The institutional publication, with its emphasis on “compliance with protocols” contrasts with the mother’s complaints and has put the center’s credibility in crisis.
“I am the mother of that baby and I only know the treatment they gave us there,” said the mother of little Liam, two years old, in public statements confirmed to this medium by relatives. “They never told me about the sepsis my child had,” says the mother.
When the ultrasound was finally performed, postponed for three days, the baby already had inflammation of the abdominal organs.
According to his complaint, he was only informed that the minor had severe pneumonia “which was not serious.” He also states that when they were referred from intensive care in Jovellanos, they remained for about two hours in a hallway before being formally treated in the guard room and that, in this process, the baby’s father had to argue to have the admission formalized.
The mother questions why the indicated ultrasound was not performed on Tuesday and was postponed until Thursday, claims that they were informed about possible sepsis and reports that they had to manage blood on their own. He also mentioned an electrical outage in intensive care, which although it lasted only seconds, put the baby who was in an induced coma and connected to mechanical ventilation at risk.
According to his statement, when the ultrasound was finally performed, postponed for three days, the baby already had inflammation of the abdominal organs.
The mother’s indignation adds to other recent testimonies of incidents at the same medical center, which this medium was able to corroborate through online exchanges with relatives.
Another mother who lost her three-month-old baby in the same institution, says that to transport the child from Unión de Reyes to Matanzas, they were waiting for the ambulance from 11:00 in the morning until 7:00 at night. Upon arrival at the hospital, despite medical efforts, the baby could not be saved. Although this mother does not accuse the hospital of negligence in her case, she confirms the testimony of Liam’s mother, having met her at the pediatric hospital.
The same family also reported serious hygiene problems within the center: rats and cockroaches in hallways and rooms, which represent a high biological risk for pediatric patients with weakened immune systems.
They were waiting for the ambulance from 11:00 in the morning until 7:00 at night. Upon arrival at the hospital, the baby could not be saved.
In a similar statement, another mother said that her daughter only managed to survive thanks to her own insistence and the advice of other classmates in the room. According to the account, initially the minor’s condition was minimized in the ward, where a boss attributed the minor’s symptoms to a “feeling bad.”
“Thanks to the mothers who were in the dengue room who told me to move her quickly for therapy, today my girl is alive,” he said. According to her testimony, just 40 minutes after entering intensive care, the minor stopped responding. “If it had been the room, my daughter would die.”
The coincidences in these complaints – delays, initial underestimation of symptoms, hygiene deficiencies, disorganization, shortage of health resources – reveal an institutional failure rather than isolated incidents.
This perception is reinforced by the recent statement by fourth-year medical students assigned to the hospital, addressed to the University of Medical Sciences and the educational authorities. Students report high transportation costs without institutional support, lack of printed forms of pediatric medical history, and absence of formal teaching despite not having officially started the semester. “We are exhausted from working and walking daily for nothing,” they point out, stating that they assume administrative burdens without receiving effective academic training.
Sources linked to the health sector recognize that the Cuban health system is going through a critical stage, marked by a shortage of supplies, electrical problems and migration of professionals. However, for foreign health tourism, material conditions are usually guaranteed, which reveals a clear inequality in the allocation of resources.
The deficiencies that have led to these tragic consequences have generated outrage among the population, which demands transparency in the institutional response. The official statement published, far from reassuring, has deepened the frustration of the relatives and the discontent of the citizens.
