US blockade against Cuba impacts cardiology service

CAMAGUEY, Cuba, Feb 27 (ACN) The economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States government against the Cuban people violates the right to life and health in the country, and causes millions of dollars in losses every year, as it happens every day in the Cardiology Service of the Manuel Ascunce Domenech Provincial Hospital in this eastern city.

The entry of supplies and technologies necessary for the development of medical care is affected time and again by the negative impact of this genocidal policy, which, in addition to not accepting direct commercialization, prohibits third countries from carrying out any kind of transactions with the Caribbean nation.
Angel Esteban Miranda Fragoso, a specialist in First Degree Cardiology, expressed that it is very painful to see how inhumanely this hostile policy directly affects the patients, their wellbeing and in many cases even their lives.

The deputy clinical director of this health care center said that formerly these pathologies were more common in the elderly, but nowadays, there is a remarkable increase of cardiovascular diseases in children, adolescents and young people, a red light for Cuban medicine without access today to obtain intracardiac valves, intravascular devices for coronary arteries and high-tech equipment.

These include echocardiographs, mechanical ventilators, cardiodesfibrillators to recover patients from cardiorespiratory arrest, perfusion syringes, infusion and perfusion pumps, among many others that are on the long list to achieve adequate cardiovascular care, Miranda Fragoso pointed out.

Although it is commendable to recognize the great work done by the technicians and specialists of the Provincial Center of Electromedicine, there are many cases that require the replacement of the part and in other cases the replacement of the equipment in its entirety.

As if that were not enough, Cuba is denied access to medical literature, Internet sites created to facilitate the free exchange of information and software essential for the diagnosis of different diseases.