Social assistance covers 12 thousand people in Cuban province

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 27 (acn) Arminda Benítez of the Julio Antonio Mella community of this city, feels happy for the Social Assistance provided to her husband, who has been in bed for 11 years, and one of the more than 11,290 beneficiaries of that Service in the province of Camagüey.

In conversation with the ACN, she valued the assistance received as part of the agreement between the Ministries of Internal Trade and Public Health with the monthly allocation of bath and washing soaps, as well as the free modules delivered every six months by the Social worker of her polyclinic.

The prices of toiletries are cheap and I do not have to pay anything for towels, antiseptic cloth and rubber, said Arminda, who covers her domestic expenses with only 271 pesos a month, which is left after paying the checkbook of her husband, the discount of 69 pesos for the refrigerator and the TV set.

After 45 years of marriage with José Antonio Sosa, retired from the railway sector and a victim of a traffic accident, the situation of this Camagüey home is included among the most critical cases protected in the territory, which covers 7,545 families, according to Niurka Caballero, head of the Department of Social Welfare.

Although we would like to attend to all people in similar conditions, the limitation of resources, sometimes, does not allow it, said the official, while indicating the trend to increase the attendees and the services they require.

The increase of older adults in today's Cuban society is also a problem for the province, said William Olivera, head of the Department of Prevention and Social Work.

The elderly alone have a greater impact on the identification and evaluation of social workers in the communities, along with the difficulties of housing, neglect of minors, and a high rate of alcoholism, said Olivera.

Caballero added that the budget this year for social assistance in Camagüey exceeds 21 million 940 thousand pesos, above that allocated to that service in 2016, when the government granted more than 19 million 240 thousand pesos.

This program also includes the Family Care Service, which consists of arranging places to serve as a dining room for retirees and assistants, the Grandparents' Homes and Nursing Homes, the latter two being subsidized the stay with 180 pesos and 400 pesos monthly, respectively.