Cuba Keeps Facing Shortage of Medications

Havana, Dec 16 (ACN) Cuba keeps facing a complex shortage of medications despite the efforts made by the government and the local industry, said the national director for Medical Technology and Medications at the Cuban Health Ministry, María Cristina Lara Bastanzuri.

Addressing the Parliament’s Health and Sports Commission, the directive said that a major problem in the sector is the lack of financing to access the necessary resources, which has worsened due to the strengthening US economic blockade against the island nation.

The shortage of medications is affecting controlled drugs and also common ones, because 80 percent of the drugs expended at local drugstores are produced locally, said the executive and added that at present the drugstore network only counts on 24 percent of available medications.

Other problems are those connected to the transportation of raw materials and the drugs, along with the shortage of containers, the executive noted and referred to the unfulfillment of the production of natural medications, due to the lack of vegetables, refined sugar, natural alcohol and other raw materials.

Deputy Prime Minister Eduardo Martinez asked for actions to boost alternative medications and find solutions to the shortage of drugs and improve working conditions and the infrastructure of the drugstore network.

The Cuban Parliament’s commissions are working ahead of the Fourth Session of the National Assembly 10th Legislature to open sessions on Wednesday.