MIAMI, United States. – The head of the provincial section of Stomatology of Sancti Spíritus, Dariel Álvarez Rojas, assured to the official newspaper Escambray that the anesthesia acquired by the patients will not be administered in any dental clinic in the country.
The specialist indicated that in such health institutions only anesthesia certified by the Regulatory Authority for Medicines, Medical Equipment and Devices of the Republic of Cuba (CECMED) will be used, despite its scarcity.
“Dental anesthesia, due to the way in which it is administered to the patient —which goes directly to the nerve through infiltration techniques— can put the person’s life at risk, so we only use what we have certified by the CECMED”, said Álvarez Rojas.
The official said that Cuba does accept some “medical resources for use in hospital centers and, of course, stomatology —that can be imported by natural persons from abroad—, such as amalgam and resin, which do not compromise the patient’s life.
Álvarez Rojas came to recognize the anesthesia deficit suffered by health facilities. In the case of Sancti Spíritus, the official assured that anesthesia has just entered and that it would be distributed to all units in the province.
“It will not only be used for emergency procedures, but for any patient who needs a dental extraction; as well as for other procedures that also require its use, such as pulpotomy, ”he explained.
Maintaining good dental health in Cuba has become a privilege that very few Cubans can achieve, due to shortage and the high prices of the products necessary for the different dental procedures.
“As our national adviser informed us, in 2023 resources such as amalgam and resin must enter the country, which are not nationally produced and depend on imports. Although in 2022 we did not meet the expectations of the population, priority was given to pregnant women, children under 19 years of age, the elderly and the disabled, ”she told Escambray Alvarez Rojas.
