HAVANA, Cuba.- A few days ago, a young relative of mine was operated on for appendicitis complicated by peritonitis. The operation was a success, but getting the necessary medicines was a problem: some were not available in the hospital and others were late in arriving.
A few hours before the operation, when the patient was due to be fed with IV fluids, they were missing for about six hours because the company that makes them did not supply them to the hospital in time. The lack of IV fluids could have caused dehydration in the patient. To remedy the situation, a neighbour gave us an IV that she had at home.
Other difficulty was with the antibiotic. Although there were two that applied, the most suitable one, Rosefín, which is only available at hospital level, was not available. It had to be bought “on the cheap.” The fourteen bulbs cost 600 pesos each, or 8,400 pesos in total, plus 600 for courier, which amounted to 9,000 pesos. According to what I have been told, it was cheap, since they sell for 1,000 pesos each.
The original drain did not exist, and a small rubber tube was installed, with a glove at the end to collect the discharges. At one point the glove was also missing, and one had to be purchased at a cost of $2.37. The hose and glove were joined with adhesive tape, and at one point the nurse had to go through the wards to find it, because there was only one roll of adhesive tape for the entire floor of the hospital, and no one knew who had it.
We had to bring a fan to mitigate the heat and the mosquitoes. And a bucket too. Water had to be carried in buckets from a tap located in a landfill, since it did not reach the sinks located in each room. Buying a bucket to carry water increased the bill by 270 pesos more.
It is worth noting that both the doctors and the nurses at the Fajardo Hospital provided meticulous care at all times. And the doctor at the polyclinic continues to make home visits to check on the patient’s condition: a professional attitude that unfortunately is not always observed in all health institutions.
When the patient was discharged, since there was no ambulance service, we had to rent a car to take him home and it cost us 1,500 pesos.
Getting the means for healing is another torment. Adhesive tape and bandages are nowhere to be found. I even turned to international pharmacies in the Free Havana Hoteland from the Cira García hospital, to purchase them in MLC. In both places they told me not to look any further, that I wouldn’t find them anywhere.
There is an altruistic group led by a Cuban named Sergio E. Cabrera, whose motto is: “He who does not live to serve, is not fit to live!”, who if they have the medicine or medical supplies you need, they will give them to you for free; but they told me they did not have them at that moment.
We asked neighbors and friends where to find these items. Some contributed something they had, but all referred me to sales on unofficial networks.
When I finally found the tape, a medium roll cost 500 pesos, plus 600 for courier. Total: 1,100 pesos.
It is unheard of that the service costs more than the product. The fact is that non-state sellers carry out their activity through the Revolico.com website, and do not give their address or identify themselves, so you cannot go and pick up the item, but rather a courier brings it, which makes everything even more expensive.
When the patient had to be taken to the hospital to have his stitches removed, the car rental cost 1,000 pesos round trip.
There is still another trip to the hospital to remove the drain next week, so that number will increase.
I wonder how people with limited financial resources would cope in a similar situation?
