Cuban Patients Are Dying Because of U.S. Blockade, Doctors Say
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- A nationwide blackout in Cuba has extended into a second day, severely impacting individuals like 21-year-old Jorge Pérez Álvarez, who relies on a ventilator that requires constant electricity to function.
- Frequent power outages have strained backup battery supplies, making it difficult to keep essential medical devices running and putting patients' lives at risk.
- The U.S. oil blockade is depleting Cuba's fuel supplies, leading to daily blackouts, food shortages, canceled classes, and soaring black-market gas prices nearing $40 a gallon.
- Cuba's universal health care system is struggling under these conditions, with doctors reporting that deteriorating hospital and clinic environments are causing preventable deaths.
- The crisis highlights the broader humanitarian impact of the fuel shortage and power outages on Cuba's vulnerable populations and public services.
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