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Cuba: When Time Itself Also Makes You Sick

A Cuban family’s testimony from a Havana hospital, facing an illness that does not wait.

HAVANA TIMES – For years, I heard Cuban medicine described as a medical powerhouse. Like many people, I associated that phrase with the training, dedication, and commitment of its professionals.

I never imagined that my family would have to experience the difference between the human capabilities of many healthcare workers and the difficulties of a system in coordinating those capabilities when they are needed most.

I write these lines not as a doctor or a specialist. I write them as a son. As someone who has accompanied his mother through an illness that arrived unexpectedly and forced us to learn, to ask questions, to search for answers and to fight to ensure that what we believed needed to be done was actually done.

My mother is 59 years old. Before this situation, she had no significant medical history, except for a hysterectomy performed approximately 20 years ago. We never imagined that an apparently common symptom could end up being the beginning of such a complex process.

What hurts me most about this entire ordeal is not only the diagnosis. It is the feeling that valuable time was lost that could have been used for timely intervention.

The Beginning: When a Warning Sign Seemed Minor

It all began in early March, when my mother started experiencing bleeding during bowel movements. At first, we associated it with constipation, looking for a simple explanation for something that seemed common.

When we went to the polyclinic, we were instructed to go to Miguel Enriquez Hospital, where there was a Coloproctology clinic. After the initial examination, it was concluded that she had an acute anal fissure. Sitz baths, dietary changes, vegetables, and ointments were prescribed, along with weekly follow-up visits.

For four consecutive Tuesdays, we went to the clinic. The instructions remained practically the same, and there was no improvement.

Meanwhile, my mother began to develop a fear of eating. In her mind, eating solid food meant more pain and more bleeding during bowel movements. Little by little, she reduced her food intake until she was living almost entirely on broth. Within a few weeks, she lost a great deal of weight, and her nutritional condition deteriorated considerably.

During that period, no additional tests were performed to rule out other causes. There was no biopsy or imaging; only continued clinical evaluations and the treatment prescribed for an anal fissure.

When the Illness Showed Another Face

In mid-April, swelling appeared in the groin area. It was diagnosed as an abscess, and treatment with metronidazole was prescribed. After beginning that treatment, my mother experienced a significant worsening during bowel movements, with increased pain and bleeding. When we reported this, we were told that the........

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